The education sector mourns

Enzo Amuele

Foibe Louise Namene was a trained lawyer and a PhD candidate at the University of Namibia. She served the Namibian electricity utility, NamPower, in various senior management positions from 1996 until her deployment as CEO of the Electricity Control Board of Namibia (ECB) in June 2014.

The Executive mentions that Namene was an admitted attorney with the Namibian High Court and served in the ministry of justice before joining NamPower. Namene had over 20 years of experience in the electricity supply industry (ESI). In her capacity as CEO of the ECB, she was tasked with leading the organisation in regulating the supply of safe, reliable and affordable electricity to small and large Namibian consumers, in addition to creating an enabling investment environment in the local ESI.

She sat on several boards, including Rössing Uranium, where she was the board chairperson; Namsov Fishing Enterprises, where she was a board member, the Namibian Community Trust and also as chairperson of the Namibian Member Committee of the World Energy Council.

Sharnay Botha, a registered kinderkineticist at the South African Professional Institute for Kinderkinetics (SAPIK) and the educational project coordinator at Namibia Media Holdings (NMH), mentioned that Namene was a trustee on the Namibian Community Trust (NCT), which is one of the main sponsors for the NMH educational booklet project for 2021.

NCT partnered with NMH as one of the main sponsors at the beginning of 2021 when the company started the project in January.

NCT's involvement and dedication to the project and Namibian education is greatly appreciated.

“Their contribution had a huge impact on Namibian education and will be felt for generations to come. We are grateful to Foibe as her commitment to education made a difference in the future of thousands of Namibian children. Our deepest sympathies go out to her family and friends,” Botha said.

The CEO of NMH, Albe Botha, said death is always heartbreaking, but we do not live forever so the challenge is to create something that will.

“Foibe has left a legacy that will allow us to remember her for generations to come. Her inspiration to invest in communities and, in particular, in early childhood development will allow her to live on in hundreds of thousands of Namibian children’s hearts and lives,” he said.

Dr Leake Hangala, one of Namibia’s most influential businessmen with vast experiences in government and finance, said: “I am devastated by the passing of my former colleague and great friend Foibe Namene. Foibe did pioneering work in the electricity supply industry while she was an executive at NamPower and as CEO of ECB. Her skills and experience will be deeply missed. Heartfelt condolences,” he tweeted.

The Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund also expressed its deepest condolences to Namene’s family. “She was indeed a formidable woman who left a great footprint in corporate Namibia as well as her role as an advocate for Women in Road Safety. She will indeed be missed by many. Rest in peace,” the fund wrote on its Twitter page.

Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader and chairman of Democrat Union of Africa McHenry Venaani also expressed his heartfelt condolences on his Twitter page. “Death will have its day! We commiserate on the passing of the ECB CEO Meme Foibe Namene. Our nation is robbed of an astute corporate leader. We condole with the nuclear family on this colossal loss. Nangala po nawa my sister,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the family former Namibian diplomat and military commander Lieutenant General Martin Shalli said that the death of Foibe robbed them of a dependent and reliable pillar of strength.