'Only one' of 12 NamPower MD applicants met requirements

NamPower has told mines and energy minister Modestus Amutse that only one of 12 applicants for its managing director position met the required qualifications, prompting the power utility to re-advertise the job.Amutse confirmed to Namibian Sun that NamPower has responded to his 11 August letter in which he demanded an explanation for the decision to reopen the recruitment process.“I can confirm that the parastatal has responded to me. NamPower says they had 12 people who applied, and that there was only one person who qualified, and that’s why they had to re-advertise it,” Amutse said.The company also told the minister that their recruitment policy provides that, for this particular position, "they cannot have one qualifying candidate for an interview. They need more than one qualifying person for the Grade 1 position."Amutse, who had initially expressed surprise at the decision to re-advertise the position, said he has since familiarised himself with NamPower’s explanation.“I appreciate the feedback they provided, and I have familiarised myself with its content. If, in fact, that is the reflection of the matter, then it was necessary for them to re-advertise,” he said.The minister, however, cautioned against interpreting the outcome of the first recruitment round as evidence of a shortage of suitably skilled Namibians.He said the fact that only one applicant qualified for the next stage in the job application should not be interpreted to mean that Namibia lacks the skills or talent required to occupy senior leadership positions in energy-related companies.It is not yet clear which of the 12 applicants NamPower considered to have met all the requirements. NamPower’s internal recruitment policy, seen by Namibian Sun, says that a sole qualifying candidate cannot be interviewed for an executive post. The policy states that while a single candidate who meets the minimum requirements may ordinarily be interviewed, the provision does not apply to executive and senior management positions in job grades 1 to 5. However, clause 9.8 specifically provides for re-advertisement or headhunting where none of the applicants meet the minimum requirements.“If none of the applicants have met the minimum requirement for the advertised position, the human capital business unit will advise the line manager of possible action to be taken, e.g., re-advertisement or head hunting,” the policy reads.Response clarifiesLast month this publication reported that at least five senior figures in the country’s electricity and energy sector had applied for the position.They included Cenored CEO Fessor Mbango, NamPower transmission executive Leandro Kapolo, former NamPower chief operating officer Fritz Jacobs, Oshakati Premier Electric (OPE) CEO Nelson Sheya and NamPower Modified Single Buyer executive Kandali Iyambo.At the time, Amutse expressed surprise at the decision to re-advertise the position, saying he understood that five qualified candidates had duly applied.His comments prompted him to write to NamPower seeking clarity.The minister had earlier approved NamPower’s request to commence the recruitment process after the utility cited urgency and the need to avoid a leadership vacuum when current managing director Simson Haulofu’s term expires on 31 December.Bigger poolThe initial recruitment process closed on 24 July, before NamPower reopened applications until 28 August.In its re-advertisement, the utility said it wanted “to appeal to a larger talent pool given the limited number of applications received”, while assuring the initial applicants that their applications would remain in the recruitment process and that they did not have to reapply.The widened search has attracted Tesla Energy Solutions managing director Elron Awase, who this publication understands submitted his application during the re-advertisement period. Awase holds an executive MBA from New York University, a master’s degree in engineering management and engineering degrees in computer and electrical engineering from the University of Pretoria.The position requires, among other criteria, a relevant master’s qualification in an electrical or energy-related discipline, an MBA or leadership qualification and at least 15 years’ practical experience in the energy, electricity supply or related industry, including five years at executive management level.It is also unclear how many additional candidates applied after the position was re-advertised, and whether the utility has since commenced shortlisting.Visions Consulting was appointed by NamPower to independently administer the executive recruitment process.Haulofu, now 64, has led NamPower for the past 10 years, following his appointment as managing director in August 2016.

'Only one' of 12 NamPower MD applicants met requirements

Comments

Namibian Sun 2026-09-09

Please login to leave a comment

'Only one' of 12 NamPower MD applicants met requirements

Comments

Namibian Sun 2026-09-09

Please login to leave a comment

Subscription Required to Access Content ×

Login

Subscription Required to Access Content