Executive exodus rocks Meatco

Meatco executives and managers are leaving the meat parastatal en masse due to alleged frustration, intimidation and a generally toxic work environment.This is according to three of the six senior officials who tendered their resignations since July 2023, who highlighted the problems in working for Meatco.The resignations coincided with finance minister Ipumbu Shiimi and the Bank of Namibia’s request for the Meatco board to institute a probe into the operations of the company.Anselma Haushiku (human capital executive), Inus Karumbu (production manager), Titus Kanyanda (group accountant), Demeterius Aimbaanhu (cost accountant), Jonas Ileka (human capital manager) and Martins Kambulu (procurement head) all resigned between July and December last year.Meatco insiders allege that staff morale has hit an all-time low, partly caused by the precarious financial position the company finds itself in and the uncertainty surrounding its continued existence - with many fearing future retrenchments if drastic changes are not made to salvage what is left of the once-thriving entity.There are also claims that some of the officials who resigned were so frustrated by the working environment that they opted to walk out of the Meatco door without securing alternative employment.Spying Shiimi last year instructed the company’s board to probe claims that Meatco is underselling its meat, and to look into staff concerns regarding operational and strategic matters raised.In a memo dated 30 June 2023, concerned employees told Shiimi that the company’s operations must be looked into to ensure its survival.“Meatco’s continued sustainability warrants a closer inspection; more so, fool-proofing the conduct of its operations, with the aim of eliminating financial improprieties, wastage and inefficiencies, and leveraging the limited financial resources available to it to continue operations,” it read.The workers also claimed that there are “clandestine spying activities” being carried out on them.They bemoaned “ongoing, excessive, unprocedural and at the very least unlawful surveillance within Meatco’s communication systems - characterised by tampering with official emails, records and databases to the extent that with the initiation of this memo, specific information relating to this memo was coincidentally already removed or omitted from official records”.IntimidationThere are also claims that Meatco’s CEO Mwilima Mushokabanji often undertakes strategic matters “without involving most of management and misguiding the board”.Mushokabanji is also accused of, amongst other things, intimidating employees so that they become fearful in performing their duties, especially concerning his ‘extensive’ travels, subsistence and travel claims and credit card use.Workers further claimed that the CEO handles procurement matters at his own discretion, in the process usurping the powers of the company’s established internal procurement protocols such as the procurement management unit.“This should be investigated to produce a comprehensive report on the procurement processes followed, the authority of those who were involved in such process, the reasons for sidestepping company processes, as well as to collate all expenses incurred by the company in such procurement processes that were solely handled by the office of the CEO - such as the procurement of his accommodation whenever he travelled for business,” the workers requested.The employees vowed to disclose more irregularities and unethical conduct taking place at the company if they are accorded whistle-blower protection.The finance ministry this week refused to comment on the allegations.“Regarding Meatco, it is considered an internal matter, and the board is the appropriate authority to deal with this matter,” spokesperson Wilson Shikoto told Namibian Sun.

Executive exodus rocks Meatco

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Executive exodus rocks Meatco

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