Geingob backs Air Namibia liquidation
OGONE TLHAGE
WINDHOEK
President Hage Geingob says the government made the right decision to liquidate Air Namibia and there was sufficient deliberation among cabinet members to close the airline.
“This was decided by Cabinet, not individuals, by Cabinet after a long, long debate,” Geingob told journalists during a Covid-19 briefing.
According to Geingob, the debate about liquidation had been passed by various cabinet committees before a final decision was made.
Collective decision
“Cabinet took a decision and when Cabinet takes a decision you must look at the technicalities. These decisions are taken by Cabinet, and not ministers and this thing of Air Namibia has been going on for many years,” Geingob said.
Because of his portfolio, public enterprise minister Leon Jooste was then instructed to initiate the liquidation of Air Namibia, Geingob explained.
“Ministers are technical people, the minister of public enterprises, it’s his duty to work on it, not that he’s the champion of it,” he said.
Geingob also alluded to his State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered in June last year when he announced the possible liquidation of Air Namibia.
“In my SONA, I mentioned liquidation myself for the first time and when the president says a thing, technical people come in to work on it,” he said.
What changed?
Geingob said he found it odd that people who were in favour of liquidating the airline are now seeing a different tune.
“Now that we are liquidating, they are saying it is not good … what is wrong? You are being negative for the sake of being negative. We have a financial crisis, we need to look at where we can cut,” Geingob said of the meagre resources available to government.
Namibian Sun earlier this month reported how Jooste had instructed interim Air Namibia CEO Theo Mberirua to set the wheels in motion to liquidate the airline.
WINDHOEK
President Hage Geingob says the government made the right decision to liquidate Air Namibia and there was sufficient deliberation among cabinet members to close the airline.
“This was decided by Cabinet, not individuals, by Cabinet after a long, long debate,” Geingob told journalists during a Covid-19 briefing.
According to Geingob, the debate about liquidation had been passed by various cabinet committees before a final decision was made.
Collective decision
“Cabinet took a decision and when Cabinet takes a decision you must look at the technicalities. These decisions are taken by Cabinet, and not ministers and this thing of Air Namibia has been going on for many years,” Geingob said.
Because of his portfolio, public enterprise minister Leon Jooste was then instructed to initiate the liquidation of Air Namibia, Geingob explained.
“Ministers are technical people, the minister of public enterprises, it’s his duty to work on it, not that he’s the champion of it,” he said.
Geingob also alluded to his State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered in June last year when he announced the possible liquidation of Air Namibia.
“In my SONA, I mentioned liquidation myself for the first time and when the president says a thing, technical people come in to work on it,” he said.
What changed?
Geingob said he found it odd that people who were in favour of liquidating the airline are now seeing a different tune.
“Now that we are liquidating, they are saying it is not good … what is wrong? You are being negative for the sake of being negative. We have a financial crisis, we need to look at where we can cut,” Geingob said of the meagre resources available to government.
Namibian Sun earlier this month reported how Jooste had instructed interim Air Namibia CEO Theo Mberirua to set the wheels in motion to liquidate the airline.
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