EDITORIAL: Make vetting of SOE board members compulsory

The absence of a legal requirement to formally vet candidates nominated to serve as directors on the boards of public enterprises should concern every Namibian who cares about how these institutions are governed.

Board appointments are not ceremonial positions. Directors are entrusted with the strategic direction, oversight and governance of institutions that manage public assets, provide essential services and, in many cases, handle billions of dollars in public resources.

That responsibility demands far more than an impressive CV. A qualification can tell government what someone studied. A CV can tell it where someone worked. Neither necessarily tells government whether that person can be trusted with public money and public institutions.

This is precisely where formal vetting becomes important. Namibia should not have a system in which the state is satisfied that someone has the requisite academic credentials and professional experience, only to discover later that their record contains serious questions that could have been identified before their appointment.

Vetting should not be confused with a political loyalty test, nor should it become an instrument for excluding people because they hold unpopular views or have made political enemies. Proper vetting should be objective, transparent and grounded in clearly defined criteria.

It should establish, among other things, whether candidates have credible records of ethical leadership; whether there are unresolved allegations or findings against them; whether they have been associated with corporate failures or governance breaches; or whether their business interests create conflicts.

Public enterprises are not private clubs where shareholders can simply remove directors when things go wrong. Their failures ultimately have consequences for taxpayers, consumers, employees and the broader economy.

A CV may open the door. A track record should determine whether someone is allowed to walk through it.