EDITORIAL: The public deserves to know why

Transparency is not an optional extra in good governance. It is one of its essential foundations.

That is why the abrupt dismissal of the Namibia Airports Company (NAC) board by minister Veikko Nekundi last week deserves a proper explanation.

We do not, for a moment, believe that the minister simply woke up one morning and decided to fire a group of people. Such a consequential decision must have been motivated by serious concerns about the board's conduct, performance or compliance with its responsibilities.

But what were those concerns? That is the question the public deserves answered.

The minister does not act in a personal capacity when dealing with a public institution. He acts on behalf of Namibians. The NAC is a state-owned entity, and its governance has implications for taxpayers and for the country's aviation sector. When the minister takes the extraordinary step of removing its board, the people on whose behalf he has acted have a legitimate interest in understanding why.

Keeping those reasons under wraps creates an unnecessary information vacuum. And information vacuums are dangerous.

In the absence of an official explanation, those who have been removed can portray themselves as victims of political persecution, personal vendettas or arbitrary decision-making. The public is then left to choose between competing narratives without having access to the facts.

Indeed, explaining the decision would serve another important purpose. If the board was removed because of specific failures or misconduct, making those concerns known would send a clear message to other public entities about the standards expected of their boards.

Namibians deserve leaders who are prepared not only to make difficult decisions, but also to stand behind those decisions publicly.

Minister Nekundi may well have compelling reasons for removing the NAC board. If he does, the country deserves to hear them.