Shovaleka denies ‘hand-picking’ Power Consult

Former Nored acting CEO Toivo Shovaleka says the decision to appoint Power Consult and Mechanical Engineers, owned by his colleague’s husband, was taken before he was appointed.Shovaleka, through his legal representatives at Trustco Insurance, explained that his role was limited to signing the award letter dated 30 April 2024 and the subsequent contract.The appointment, the lawyers pointed out, was already determined by the tender committee, and the selection process was completed before he was appointed acting CEO.“Our client, acting in the capacity of Acting CEO of Nored, was duly authorised to sign the award letter dated 30 April 2024 and subsequently the contract for the tender,” the letter reads. "Our client was not part of the panel that made the final selection. Moreover, the selection was made before our member was appointed as acting CEO,” the lawyers' letter stated.Recovery planPower Consult and Mechanical Engineers had initially been contracted in 2023 to conduct a prepaid meter audit.The audit revealed that Nored had been undercharging its customers, with an estimated N$76 million in outstanding debt.Following this finding, the company proposed a recovery plan, offering two options for remuneration.In an internal memo dated 5 February 2024, the acting manager for engineering services, Isak Nekwaya, recommended that Nored adopt the commission model, paying Power Consult 13.5% of the amount recovered. This would translate to just over N$10 million if the full amount were collected.Shovaleka also addressed questions raised by a Namibian Sun article published last month, which reported that the contract was signed on 19 July 2024 between Nored and Power Consult.He clarified that 19 July was a Saturday, when Nored offices were closed, and that he had only stepped in as acting CEO five days later, before being replaced by Lucas Kudumo Siremo on 24 July.Concerns Concerns about possible conflicts of interest had been raised because Simeon Antindi, the husband of Nored executive manager for legal affairs and compliance, Etegameno Indongo-Antindi, owns Power Consult.Indongo-Antindi at the time said she had no involvement in the tender process and dismissed the allegations. “It’s not news. There is not much I can make of it. You probably have to ask them as to why they are making such allegations. What is important are the facts, and us lawyers, we work with the facts, not allegations nor speculations,” she said.Shovaleka has also faced allegations that he earned over N$1 million in subsistence and travel allowances during his tenure, averaging around N$70 000 per month.Critics claim this was due to his decision to hold meetings in regions such as Rundu, which is considered lucrative in terms of allowances and expenses.Amid these controversies, Namibian Sun has seen whistleblower reports and employee motions of no confidence against members of management, which allege systemic corruption at the company.Board chairperson Johannes Uushini refused to respond to the allegations.“Just get your details regarding all your questions from the whistleblower him/herself,” he said.kenya@nmh-hub.com.na

Shovaleka denies ‘hand-picking’ Power Consult

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-10

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Shovaleka denies ‘hand-picking’ Power Consult

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-10

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