TransNamib labour case deferred, lawyers absent

THE Labour Court this week postponed a case in which a former manager has taken the company to court for unfair dismissal.

Magistrate Uaatjo Uanivi, chairperson of the Labour Court, postponed the case until March 16 after the lawyers for the transport parastatal failed to turn up for the hearing. Erenfried ‘Tjivi’ Ndjoonduezu was sacked in December 2004 for alleged “poor time management and absenteeism”.He was the first of four former managers sacked or forced out of the company over a two-month period.Others were Godhardt !Howaeb, Bernhardt !Gaeb and Moses Mbai.!Gaeb and Mbai have also taken the company to court.They were dismissed shortly after they threatened to take legal action against the parastatal.The former managers were assigned to a project to turn around TransNamib’s financial position.However, once the project was completed, CEO John Shaetonhodi and now suspended Human Resources General Manager Jason Hamunyela refused to reinstate them in their former positions.During the former managers’ absence they were replaced, allegedly by allies of Shaetonhodi and Hamunyela.Shaetonhodi dismissed the allegations levelled against him and Hamunyela.However, the Board of TransNamib suspended Hamunyela in November last year after being presented with the report of a five-month probe into allegations of corruption, favouritism and nepotism by the Ombudsman’s Office.Apart from alleged favouritism, Hamunyela was suspended because of his private dealings with company property and time.The Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Foibe Jacobs, said last month that they had set in motion the disciplinary process against Hamunyela but still needed to appoint a disciplinary committee and set a date.Sources said Hamunyela would appear before a disciplinary hearing this month.The Namibian has it on good authority that the Ombudsman’s report said that the right procedures were not followed in appointing some staff members.Erenfried ‘Tjivi’ Ndjoonduezu was sacked in December 2004 for alleged “poor time management and absenteeism”.He was the first of four former managers sacked or forced out of the company over a two-month period.Others were Godhardt !Howaeb, Bernhardt !Gaeb and Moses Mbai.!Gaeb and Mbai have also taken the company to court.They were dismissed shortly after they threatened to take legal action against the parastatal.The former managers were assigned to a project to turn around TransNamib’s financial position.However, once the project was completed, CEO John Shaetonhodi and now suspended Human Resources General Manager Jason Hamunyela refused to reinstate them in their former positions.During the former managers’ absence they were replaced, allegedly by allies of Shaetonhodi and Hamunyela.Shaetonhodi dismissed the allegations levelled against him and Hamunyela.However, the Board of TransNamib suspended Hamunyela in November last year after being presented with the report of a five-month probe into allegations of corruption, favouritism and nepotism by the Ombudsman’s Office.Apart from alleged favouritism, Hamunyela was suspended because of his private dealings with company property and time.The Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Foibe Jacobs, said last month that they had set in motion the disciplinary process against Hamunyela but still needed to appoint a disciplinary committee and set a date.Sources said Hamunyela would appear before a disciplinary hearing this month.The Namibian has it on good authority that the Ombudsman’s report said that the right procedures were not followed in appointing some staff members.