NamPower flies SA-based director in for meetings

NamPower’s South Africa-based board member, Ralf Georg Tobich, has allegedly had flights, hotel accommodation and rental vehicles arranged and paid for by the state-owned power utility for trips between South Africa and Namibia, according to travel documents seen by Namibian Sun.The documents show several travel arrangements for Tobich, with bookings handled through travel agencies. The quoted and documented costs amount to tens of thousands of Namibia dollars.Tobich is based in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. He was appointed to NamPower’s board on 1 April 2024 by then finance and public enterprises minister Iipumbu Shiimi.He chairs the board’s procurement committee and serves on its investment committee. His appointment is for a four-year term.In September 2025, Tobich travelled from Pietermaritzburg to Windhoek via Johannesburg, returning to South Africa two days later.A vehicle-hire voucher shows that a Toyota Corolla Cross was arranged for collection at Hosea Kutako International Airport for two days, at a daily rate of N$1 538. The total rental cost was N$3 076.Another arrangement was made in March 2026, when Tobich was scheduled to travel from Pietermaritzburg to Windhoek and return to South Africa five days later.A car-hire voucher shows that a vehicle was arranged for six days, with NamPower listed as the client. However, the document does not specify the rental cost.A travel quotation dated 26 May 2026, for a proposed trip from 2 to 8 June, put the cost of return flights, three nights’ accommodation at the Hilton Windhoek, four days of car hire and service fees at N$25 208.The quotation listed N$14 713 for flights, N$6 120 for accommodation, N$3 715 for car hire and N$660 in service fees.A further booking for 24 to 27 June 2026 listed a total of N$30 427. This included N$16 293 for an air ticket, N$3 744 in administration fees, N$6 950 for accommodation and N$3 439.50 for car hire.The accommodation included two nights at the Hilton Windhoek and one night at the Protea Hotel at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.The September 2025 vehicle-hire charge, the June travel quotation and the subsequent June booking amount to a combined N$58 711 in documented and quoted costs. This figure does not include the March 2026 vehicle hire, for which the voucher does not specify an amount.Minister raises concernsIndustries, mines and energy minister Modestus Amutse has questioned the rationale for appointing board members who live outside Namibia. “In my view, this is not a good exercise to have board members that reside in another country. It is in actual fact quite concerning. I will engage with the NamPower leadership to find out more and how this was done,” Amutse said.He said he was not the minister responsible for the final appointment decision but argued that board members should ordinarily be based in Namibia. “One would think that as a country we should only appoint people who are based and live here. I wonder whether the minister at the time knew. So it is worth following up,” he said.Board governanceAs a strategic state-owned enterprise responsible for electricity generation, transmission and supply, NamPower’s board provides oversight, strategic direction and accountability for the utility’s operations.The company’s annual reports show that Tobich attended 15 board and committee meetings across the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years.In 2023/24, he attended one board meeting, one procurement committee meeting and one investment committee meeting. In 2024/25, he attended four meetings in each category, accounting for all 12 meetings recorded for that year.NamPower’s 2024 integrated annual report classifies the utility as a Tier 3 commercial public enterprise. It states that non-executive directors receive annual retainers of N$85 058 and sitting allowances of N$32 511, based on four meetings per year.Additional board meetings require approval from the line minister.NamPower’s website describes Tobich as an energy-sector expert with more than 30 years of experience in sub-Saharan Africa, mainly in consulting and advisory roles.His experience includes renewable energy policy and strategy, power-sector development planning and electricity access.According to his LinkedIn profile, he lives in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, and works as a business development manager for Africa at Norconsult.Tobich had not provided a response to questions sent to him by Namibian Sun by the time of publication. When contacted, he said: “I am in meetings, and I will look at the questions later and then will respond.”Questions sent to NamPower board chairperson Clive Kavendji had also not been answered by the time of publication.Shiimi defends appointment processAsked about the rationale for appointing a director based outside Namibia and the implications of the arrangement, former finance and public enterprises minister Iipumbu Shiimi said he had followed the established recruitment process, which involves shortlisting, interviews and Cabinet endorsement.“By law appointments of board members are done in that positions are advertised, the Department of Public Enterprises shortlists the qualified candidates for interviews, the minister appoints a committee to interview candidates, and if some of the required skills are missing, the committee may headhunt and recommend candidates to the minister for appointment.“The minister submits the recommended names to the Cabinet for endorsement,” Shiimi said.He said Tobich’s appointment would have followed the same process.“I don't know him personally, so I would not have known that he is a Namibian who lives in SA,” Shiimi said.

NamPower flies SA-based director in for meetings

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Namibian Sun 2026-11-09

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NamPower flies SA-based director in for meetings

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Namibian Sun 2026-11-09

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