TransNamib bosses flee ‘sinking ship’

TRANSNAMIB is about to experience an exodus of its top management and key personnel.

The Namibian has reliably established that at least four senior personnel of the national courier are shipping out of the parastatal, which has been the focus for close to a year of media reports related to allegations of mismanagement. Earlier this month, TransNamib dismissed its General Manager of Human Resources, Jason Hamunyela, who had been on suspension for a year.He was accused of not following policies and procedures and of being involved in a dubious tender deal.Yesterday, Brian Black, General Manager of Marketing and Sales, confirmed that he had tendered his resignation to Chief Executive Officer John Shaetonhodi.He is leaving the transport parastatal a few months before his five-year contract expires.All but one of TransNamib’s General Managers and the CEO work on five-year contracts and these are up for renewal next year.”I have asked the Board to release me earlier because I want to explore other opportunities,” Black confided to The Namibian.The Namibian also has it on good authority that the company’s legal advisor-cum-company secretary, Silas Kishi Shakumu, was about to leave but that his contract had been extended until February next year to allow time to scout for a suitable replacement.Sources told The Namibian that Shakumu was refusing to sign a new contract because he felt “cheated” by the company.He reportedly did the work of a legal advisor and company secretary but was only paid a salary equivalent to the entry level of company secretary.Sources said the board was not aware of the discrepancies because they were not informed by the CEO.When Shakumu’s contract expired, TransNamib offered him another one but he initially refused because of the grading and the accompanying perks.”I am staying with TransNamib,” was the only comment from Shakumu yesterday.Chief Public Relations Officer Olivia Kanyemba-Usiku has also tendered her resignation.Kanyemba-Usiku’s appointment at TransNamib was a matter of unhappiness among some staff members.She was trained as a nurse and is a relative of Shaetonhodi.When The Namibian reported on her appointment in 2005, Kanyemba-Usiku took out a full-page advertisement in newspapers and claimed the reporter had a “hidden agenda” or was simply “too lazy” to get his facts right.Shaetonhodi subsequently said the reporter must “retire and go and rest”.”Do not project the figment of your imagination onto us.We are very busy at TransNamib to be bothered with silly questions.””I am constrained to say your mind appears to be full of smoke and it needs decarbonising,” Shaetonhodi wrote in an e-mail to the reporter.Sixty-two year old, Finance General Manager, Leon Maree, who is also said to have resigned, told this reporter that he did not intend resigning now.The TransNamib Board met most of yesterday but the deputy chairperson, Tarah Shaanika, said the resignations were not discussed.”It is not the board’s business to discuss resignations of GMs.We only deal with the CEO,” he said.Shaanika said yesterday’s meeting was a “normal quarterly board meeting” but the Chairperson, Foibe Jacobs, was unable to attend because she is on leave in the North.In December 2004, The Namibian revealed details surrounding the appointment of a string of people close to Hamunyela and Shaetonhodi.Earlier this month, TransNamib dismissed its General Manager of Human Resources, Jason Hamunyela, who had been on suspension for a year.He was accused of not following policies and procedures and of being involved in a dubious tender deal.Yesterday, Brian Black, General Manager of Marketing and Sales, confirmed that he had tendered his resignation to Chief Executive Officer John Shaetonhodi.He is leaving the transport parastatal a few months before his five-year contract expires.All but one of TransNamib’s General Managers and the CEO work on five-year contracts and these are up for renewal next year.”I have asked the Board to release me earlier because I want to explore other opportunities,” Black confided to The Namibian.The Namibian also has it on good authority that the company’s legal advisor-cum-company secretary, Silas Kishi Shakumu, was about to leave but that his contract had been extended until February next year to allow time to scout for a suitable replacement.Sources told The Namibian that Shakumu was refusing to sign a new contract because he felt “cheated” by the company.He reportedly did the work of a legal advisor and company secretary but was only paid a salary equivalent to the entry level of company secretary.Sources said the board was not aware of the discrepancies because they were not informed by the CEO.When Shakumu’s contract expired, TransNamib offered him another one but he initially refused because of the grading and the accompanying perks.”I am staying with TransNamib,” was the only comment from Shakumu yesterday.Chief Public Relations Officer Olivia Kanyemba-Usiku has also tendered her resignation.Kanyemba-Usiku’s appointment at TransNamib was a matter of unhappiness among some staff members. She was trained as a nurse and is a relative of Shaetonhodi.When The Namibian reported on her appointment in 2005, Kanyemba-Usiku took out a full-page advertisement in newspapers and claimed the reporter had a “hidden agenda” or was simply “too lazy” to get his facts right.Shaetonhodi subsequently said the reporter must “retire and go and rest”.”Do not project the figment of your imagination onto us.We are very busy at TransNamib to be bothered with silly questions.””I am constrained to say your mind appears to be full of smoke and it needs decarbonising,” Shaetonhodi wrote in an e-mail to the reporter.Sixty-two year old, Finance General Manager, Leon Maree, who is also said to have resigned, told this reporter that he did not intend resigning now.The TransNamib Board met most of yesterday but the deputy chairperson, Tarah Shaanika, said the resignations were not discussed.”It is not the board’s business to discuss resignations of GMs.We only deal with the CEO,” he said.Shaanika said yesterday’s meeting was a “normal quarterly board meeting” but the Chairperson, Foibe Jacobs, was unable to attend because she is on leave in the North.In December 2004, The Namibian revealed details surrounding the appointment of a string of people close to Hamunyela and Shaetonhodi.