DBN seeks interim replacement for Mutumba
25 September 2020 | Business
OGONE TLHAGE
WINDHOEK
The Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) will find a temporary replacement for its senior manager for corporate communications Jerome Mutumba until his return from a diplomatic posting to the United States.
It is not clear when Mutumba would end his American sojourn, amid talks of an imminent reshuffle of the country’s diplomats.
Mutumba was appointed as Namibia’s deputy head of mission in Washington DC last year but was allowed to retain his job at the state-owned bank.
DBN CEO Martin Inkumbi informed Namibian Sun that a new head of communication was being sought.
“This position is not frozen and the bank will be looking at recruiting a head of marketing and corporate communication in due course,” he said, without giving a timeline for the recruitment process.
Mutumba still employed
Regarding Mutumba’s current status, Inkumbi said Mutumba was still employed by the bank.
“When a DBN employee is duly seconded to an external organisation for a specified period of time, such person remains an employee of the Bank. This is indeed the case with Mr Mutumba,” Inkumbi said.
Inkumbi added that the bank had followed its external secondment policy to the letter regarding Mutumba’s secondment to government.
“I confirm that in the instance of Mr Mutumba, this policy and procedures were followed to the letter. I will not discuss details of personnel matters as they are confidential,” he said.
Uproar
Affirmative Repositioning movement leader Job Amupanda last year wrote a scathing letter to Inkumbi regarding Mutumba’s posting to the US.
In the letter to Inkumbi, Amupanda said Mutumba was being allowed to “gallivant” in the United States while in the employ of the DBN.
“I understand, as is characteristic of [the] shebeen our country has since become, that you and the politicians have organised something special for Mr Mutumba, the politician. Unlike other politicians in Namibia who had to resign from their jobs, Mr Mutumba is allowed to gallivant while remaining an employee of the DBN,” Amupanda wrote.
He further asked why no other DBN employee with the necessary qualifications and experience had been appointed to take over Mutumba's position.
“I further understand that while Mr Mutumba will be in America on his political holiday for years, no qualifying and deserving Namibian will be appointed substantive DBN head of communications because you and the politicians have decided that while Mr Mutumba is gallivanting in America, his former position will be frozen,” Amupanda wrote.
“You and the politicians are abusing the term 'secondment' for this corrupt arrangement of keeping a politician as an employee of the DBN and freezing his position so that no Namibian [can] apply and occupy this position for years,” he lashed out.
WINDHOEK
The Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) will find a temporary replacement for its senior manager for corporate communications Jerome Mutumba until his return from a diplomatic posting to the United States.
It is not clear when Mutumba would end his American sojourn, amid talks of an imminent reshuffle of the country’s diplomats.
Mutumba was appointed as Namibia’s deputy head of mission in Washington DC last year but was allowed to retain his job at the state-owned bank.
DBN CEO Martin Inkumbi informed Namibian Sun that a new head of communication was being sought.
“This position is not frozen and the bank will be looking at recruiting a head of marketing and corporate communication in due course,” he said, without giving a timeline for the recruitment process.
Mutumba still employed
Regarding Mutumba’s current status, Inkumbi said Mutumba was still employed by the bank.
“When a DBN employee is duly seconded to an external organisation for a specified period of time, such person remains an employee of the Bank. This is indeed the case with Mr Mutumba,” Inkumbi said.
Inkumbi added that the bank had followed its external secondment policy to the letter regarding Mutumba’s secondment to government.
“I confirm that in the instance of Mr Mutumba, this policy and procedures were followed to the letter. I will not discuss details of personnel matters as they are confidential,” he said.
Uproar
Affirmative Repositioning movement leader Job Amupanda last year wrote a scathing letter to Inkumbi regarding Mutumba’s posting to the US.
In the letter to Inkumbi, Amupanda said Mutumba was being allowed to “gallivant” in the United States while in the employ of the DBN.
“I understand, as is characteristic of [the] shebeen our country has since become, that you and the politicians have organised something special for Mr Mutumba, the politician. Unlike other politicians in Namibia who had to resign from their jobs, Mr Mutumba is allowed to gallivant while remaining an employee of the DBN,” Amupanda wrote.
He further asked why no other DBN employee with the necessary qualifications and experience had been appointed to take over Mutumba's position.
“I further understand that while Mr Mutumba will be in America on his political holiday for years, no qualifying and deserving Namibian will be appointed substantive DBN head of communications because you and the politicians have decided that while Mr Mutumba is gallivanting in America, his former position will be frozen,” Amupanda wrote.
“You and the politicians are abusing the term 'secondment' for this corrupt arrangement of keeping a politician as an employee of the DBN and freezing his position so that no Namibian [can] apply and occupy this position for years,” he lashed out.
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