TIRI MASAWI
The planned revival of a national airline has run into an early governance controversy, with the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) demanding that Works and Transport Executive Director Jonas Sheelongo be removed from all committees involved in establishing Namibia Air.
Sheelongo, who previously served as Air Namibia’s General Manager: Technical and Operations, is playing a key role in the planning of the proposed new national carrier.
In a statement issued on Monday, IPC shadow minister of works and transport Nelson Kalangula called for Sheelongo’s immediate recusal from steering committees, negotiation panels, strategic planning bodies and technical advisory roles linked to Namibia Air.
The party’s demand is based on findings it attributes to a Deloitte forensic investigation into Air Namibia.
According to the IPC statement, the investigation cited Sheelongo over alleged non-compliance, unauthorised actions and breaches of internal policies during his time at the defunct airline.
“Entrusting the technical, commercial, and financial planning of a new national carrier to an individual implicated in unauthorized contract signing, insubordination, and financial policy violations that contributed to the collapse of Air Namibia severely compromises public trust and institutional integrity,” Kalangula said.
The IPC statement refers to four areas covered by the Deloitte investigation.
These include the transition from Airbus A340 to A330 aircraft, the procurement of two Airbus A319 aircraft, the Frankfurt catering supplier contract and the extension of the airline’s on-board duty-free service contract.
On the Airbus A340 to A330 transition, the IPC said the investigation concluded that the former General Manager: Technical and Operations committed gross insubordination, failed to act in the best interests of Air Namibia, breached his employment agreement and disregarded the airline’s Financial Delegations Policy and Purchasing Policy.
On the procurement of two Airbus A319 aircraft, the party said the report implicated Sheelongo in gross insubordination, disregard of company rules and fraud for signing a contract without being authorised to do so.
The statement also alleges gross insubordination and failure to act in Air Namibia’s best interests in relation to the Frankfurt catering supplier.
On the duty-free contract, the IPC said the investigation cited the former general manager for negligence in performing his duties and poor contract management during the extension of the service contract.
“Allowing an individual with this documented track record to lead or influence discussions around fleet acquisition, lessor negotiations, and operational strategy for a new carrier poses a severe threat to the success of the project,” the IPC said.
The party said Deloitte’s broader findings at Air Namibia pointed to systemic problems, including poor planning, non-adherence to prescribed policies and poor financial discipline.
Kalangula said the government should not repeat the governance problems associated with the former national carrier.
“The Ministry cannot credibly assert that it is establishing a sustainable model to avoid the mistakes of the past while placing key decision-making authority in the hands of those who participated in those very failures,” he said.
The IPC has called for Sheelongo’s immediate removal from all tasks, negotiation teams and planning committees related to Namibia Air.
It also wants the Ministry of Works and Transport to introduce a transparent background-vetting process for people appointed to guide the new airline project.
The party further wants the government to publicly disclose its procurement strategy, including how fleet selection, aircraft leasing and governance structures for Namibia Air will be handled.
Kalangula also called for an update from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on the irregularities and statutory violations highlighted in the forensic investigation.
“Parliament and the public continue to await an official update and decisive action from the Anti-Corruption Commission regarding the irregularities and statutory violations highlighted in the forensic investigation,” he said.
The IPC said it would monitor the establishment of Namibia Air and called for greater transparency and protection of public resources.
The ministry of works and transport did not respond to questions at the time of going to print.
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