Union bays for blood of NHE boss

THE Namibia Financial Institutions Union (Nafinu) yesterday called for the removal of National Housing Enterprise (NHE) CEO Vincent Hailulu.

This follows a decision by the company to retrench 31 of its 99 employees as part of a restructuring process. Nafinu president Dawid Shikulo during a press conference in Windhoek yesterday questioned the company’s decision, as well as Hailulu’s ability to run the NHE.While the company has cited a financially unsustainable salary bill, Nafinu says it has information that the restructured company will employ even more workers than before.”Eighteen positions were already advertised and some even filled,” Shikulo said.He said the company was letting go of staff with between six and 20 years of experience, using only academic qualifications as criterion.”This is in violation of the Affirmative Action Act, which defines a suitably qualified person as ‘A person who has the abilities, formal qualifications or relevant experience for a position of employment’,” Shikulo said.”One wonders if he, Mr Hailulu, is qualified to run NHE.By the looks of things we doubt it.Since he took over, NHE is going down.Workers are demoralised and for the majority of them working at NHE is no longer an honour,” Shikulo said in the presence of disgruntled workers and fellow union members.The Nafinu president further criticised a recent two-week visit by Hailulu to China, during what he called a crucial stage of their retrenchment negotiations.He charged that Hailulu and NHE board chairperson professor Gerhard Toetemeyer were business partners, thus creating a conflict of interest.”As a union we wonder whether this trip was in the interest of NHE or their own business”, he said.However, asked about the details of this alleged business, Shikulo said that he was not in a position to say anything.Numerous attempts to get comment from the NHE and its CEO proved unsuccessful yesterday.Nafinu president Dawid Shikulo during a press conference in Windhoek yesterday questioned the company’s decision, as well as Hailulu’s ability to run the NHE.While the company has cited a financially unsustainable salary bill, Nafinu says it has information that the restructured company will employ even more workers than before.”Eighteen positions were already advertised and some even filled,” Shikulo said.He said the company was letting go of staff with between six and 20 years of experience, using only academic qualifications as criterion.”This is in violation of the Affirmative Action Act, which defines a suitably qualified person as ‘A person who has the abilities, formal qualifications or relevant experience for a position of employment’,” Shikulo said.”One wonders if he, Mr Hailulu, is qualified to run NHE.By the looks of things we doubt it.Since he took over, NHE is going down.Workers are demoralised and for the majority of them working at NHE is no longer an honour,” Shikulo said in the presence of disgruntled workers and fellow union members.The Nafinu president further criticised a recent two-week visit by Hailulu to China, during what he called a crucial stage of their retrenchment negotiations.He charged that Hailulu and NHE board chairperson professor Gerhard Toetemeyer were business partners, thus creating a conflict of interest.”As a union we wonder whether this trip was in the interest of NHE or their own business”, he said.However, asked about the details of this alleged business, Shikulo said that he was not in a position to say anything.Numerous attempts to get comment from the NHE and its CEO proved unsuccessful yesterday.