Geingob drawn into Air Namibia battle

The battle lines have been drawn at Air Namibia, where Prime Minister Dr Hage Geingob has now been dragged into a leadership tussle between the parastatal’s board of directors and its managing director. The national airline’s managing director Theo Namases has, according to sources, written to Geingob to inform him of ongoing infighting between herself and the board, especially with board chairperson Harald Schmidt. While the top managers at the airline are taking aim at each other, there are also allegations that Air Namibia is plagued by favouritism and autocracy. This emerged from correspondence seen by Namibian Sun, which also suggested that the infighting has cost the taxpayer more than N$130 million, due to the unceremonious cancellation of a lease agreement with a contractor. It is further alleged that a Swiss national, Rene Gsponer, who is the chief operations officer (COO), drafted a company organisational structure and Schmidt approved it alone, without involving Namases. Namases confirmed during an earlier interview with Namibian Sun that she had not been consulted. “Schmidt aims to remove the current MD from her position, and is already campaigning and trying to influence the system in order to transfer the full accountability of managing the airline to Gsponer,” Namibian Sun was informed by a senior source at the national carrier. According to insiders, Gsponer was “brought in to come help strengthen the management capacity of the airline in the areas of maintenance planning, safety and flight planning and dispatch procedures”. However, instead of helping to work with the team he was brought in to assist, he is now accused of contesting for positions and competing with the people he is supposed to help develop. Some claim there have not been any board meetings at Air Namibia for quite some time, which was described as “a deliberate move by Schmidt to keep away other board members from what is happening”. Meanwhile, another insider accused Namases of tribalism and of running the airline with an iron fist. She is allegedly “stubbornly clinging to power, piercing fellow black people with her sword and using politics to advance her interest”. Since the suspension of Jonas Sheelongo, general manager: technical and operations, Gsponer was also appointed as accountable manager. Sheelongo was suspended earlier this year after making a fuss about the creation of the position of COO and the appointment of Gsponer into that position. It was apparently Namases who spearheaded the interviews where many local people took part, but had given the green light for Gsponer’s appointment. “Why is she crying foul now? She had the power and was the architect for everything. If she is crying that the whites want to take over Air Namibia, she reaps what she has sown as she is the one who brought them, sidelining all capable Namibians. She does not deserve any mercy!” the source said. Namibian Sun unsuccessfully tried to get hold of Schmidt to respond, and questions sent to Namases last month still remain answered. Minister of Works and Transport Erkki Nghimtina’s mobile phone remains switched off. However, one of Air Namibia’s board members, Tim Ekandjo, denied any conflict at the airline. “The relationship between the Air Namibia Board and its MD is a normal relationship. I have read so many things rumoured about this relationship to sensationalise the situation, but I am not moved by this,” said Ekandjo. On the organisational structure, which is said to have been approved without the MD’s knowledge, Ekandjo said: “The problem is that some faceless individuals want to manage the airline through the media, and are feeding the media rubbish. In any organisation, some matters are discussed internally and it should stay as such. We have a normal structure and approval process like any other board.” He added that the position of COO was approved by the previous board and the current board only implemented it.