Vugs fights removal from NAC board
JEMIMA BEUKES
Former deputy board chairperson of the Namibia Airports Company (NAC) Beverley Gawanas-Vugs is dragging works minister John Mutorwa to court after he sacked her from the board on Thursday.
Last week, Mutorwa announced changes to the NAC board, naming Leake Hangala as the board chair while Irene Visser replaced Gawanas-Vugs.
Gawanas-Vugs had been acting as board chairperson following the resignation of Rodgers Kauta two months ago. Her term was only due to expire in July next year.
Her lawyer, Sisa Namandje, confirmed that he was preparing an urgent application in a bid to reverse Gawanas-Vugs’s removal from the board.
In a letter to Mutorwa on Friday, Namandje wrote that the Namibia Airports Act did not give the minister the right to remove directors and demanded that his client be reinstated by close of business on Friday.
“We have advised our client that quite apart from the fact that our client was not given reasonable and fair notice of her removal and was further not given a fair and reasonable opportunity to make representation as to why she cannot be removed as board member, the minister did not follow any statutory processes in terms of the Companies Act of 2004,” he wrote.
Gawanas-Vugs only learned of her removal through the media.
Meanwhile, the newly appointed board chairman of the Namibia Airports Company, Leake Hangala, said the most important thing on his mind was to turn around the fortunes of the parastatal.
“I know it is a hot seat, but I will have to acquaint myself talk to colleagues at the board and all the stakeholders and then we take it from there. I think what is important is what we all can do to turn around the fortunes of this important enterprise,” said Hangala.
Rudolph Rittman, Grace Muhamed and Ipupa Kasheeta remain in their positions as board members.
Mutorwa said the NAC board chairperson and vice-chairperson appointments came into effect from 11 October 2018 would run until 1 August 2019.
Attempts to reach Mutorwa and the spokesperson of the works ministry Julius Ngweda were unsuccessful.
Former deputy board chairperson of the Namibia Airports Company (NAC) Beverley Gawanas-Vugs is dragging works minister John Mutorwa to court after he sacked her from the board on Thursday.
Last week, Mutorwa announced changes to the NAC board, naming Leake Hangala as the board chair while Irene Visser replaced Gawanas-Vugs.
Gawanas-Vugs had been acting as board chairperson following the resignation of Rodgers Kauta two months ago. Her term was only due to expire in July next year.
Her lawyer, Sisa Namandje, confirmed that he was preparing an urgent application in a bid to reverse Gawanas-Vugs’s removal from the board.
In a letter to Mutorwa on Friday, Namandje wrote that the Namibia Airports Act did not give the minister the right to remove directors and demanded that his client be reinstated by close of business on Friday.
“We have advised our client that quite apart from the fact that our client was not given reasonable and fair notice of her removal and was further not given a fair and reasonable opportunity to make representation as to why she cannot be removed as board member, the minister did not follow any statutory processes in terms of the Companies Act of 2004,” he wrote.
Gawanas-Vugs only learned of her removal through the media.
Meanwhile, the newly appointed board chairman of the Namibia Airports Company, Leake Hangala, said the most important thing on his mind was to turn around the fortunes of the parastatal.
“I know it is a hot seat, but I will have to acquaint myself talk to colleagues at the board and all the stakeholders and then we take it from there. I think what is important is what we all can do to turn around the fortunes of this important enterprise,” said Hangala.
Rudolph Rittman, Grace Muhamed and Ipupa Kasheeta remain in their positions as board members.
Mutorwa said the NAC board chairperson and vice-chairperson appointments came into effect from 11 October 2018 would run until 1 August 2019.
Attempts to reach Mutorwa and the spokesperson of the works ministry Julius Ngweda were unsuccessful.
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