EDITORIAL: Why do disciplinary hearings take ages in public entities?

News of Namcor’s Imms Mulunga being cleared of any wrongdoing after being on suspension for 16 months – with full benefits – brings us to the question we have asked so many times: Why do disciplinary hearings in public institutions take so long to conclude? Whether Mulunga was found guilty or not is not the issue, but how long it took to reach that conclusion. The man faced straightforward charges. Mulunga did not deny that he authorised payment to Sungara Energies Limited, the joint venture entity owned by Namcor and its partners. He merely argued that his action did not prejudice the company. It doesn’t take 16 months to determine whether his action disadvantaged Namcor or not. No forensic investigation was needed, no foreign witnesses were flown in. Sixteen months without concluding the hearing smacks of incompetence on an industrial scale.The long delays disadvantaged everyone involved. From Namcor, which had to pay Mulunga&#039;s salary as well as allowances for those serving in his position, to Mulunga himself who – in all fairness – needed to hear his fate so that he could carry on with his life, whether within Namcor or outside it.Namcor is one of the biggest recipients of taxpayer money through state subsidies, therefore Namibians have every reason to call out the unregulated delays in completing disciplinary cases. CEOs are a critical cog in the running of public institutions, and their prolonged lay-offs impact those institutions severely. The public enterprises ministry needs to come up with stricter guidelines to arrest this madness.

EDITORIAL: Why do disciplinary hearings take ages in public entities?

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Namibian Sun 2026-07-28

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EDITORIAL: Why do disciplinary hearings take ages in public entities?

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Namibian Sun 2026-07-28

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