Tiri Masawi
The appointment of NamPost’s new chief executive officer, originally planned for early March, has been delayed after minister of information and communication technology Emma Theofelus is yet to recommend a candidate to Cabinet.
The delay comes even though the board has already finished the recruitment process and forwarded its recommended candidate to the minister in February.
Sources told Namibia Business Review that Theofelus may restart the chief executive officers’ appointment process after appointing a new board at the end of March. The current board’s tenure, led by Simeone Amunkete, ends on 31 March.
“Thank you for your questions. The process is still ongoing in confirming the appointment of a CEO of NamPost,” Theofelus told Namibia Business Review last week.
The new chief executive officer is set to replace Festus Hangula, who led NamPost for 15 years before retiring in 2025.
Eldorette Harmse is currently the acting chief executive officer.
NamPost board chairperson Amunkete said the appointment was initially expected in February or early March.
“As a person with a background in Human Resources myself, I do not think I am privy to saying the names of the successful candidate until the minister is done. If the minister says the process is still ongoing, then we must wait,” Amunkete said.
WAITING GAME
Sources are accusing minister Theofelus of delaying the appointment until the current board’s term expires at the end of this month.
The outgoing board includes Amunkete as chairperson, Leezhel Sartorius Von Bach as deputy chairperson, and directors Ndangi Katoma, James Cumming, and Martha Shingenge.
“The board interviews were concluded on Monday and therefore the process of appointing a new board is in its final stages,” Theofelus said.
COO OR ACTING BOSS?
NamPost’s chief operating officer, Willem Mouton, was initially the board’s preferred candidate, but sources say Theofelus is more inclined toward acting CEO Eldorette Harmse.
Amunkete last week refused to be drawn into speculations and favourite tags. He said the board has completed its part of the process and hopes for a swift conclusion.
“At this point, we have done our part and I know the process went well. We did our recommendation submission to the minister and that is as far as I can tell. I also thought by now we would have wrapped up the process and appointed the cei but we must wait for the processes to be completed,” he said.
HIGH-PROFILE HOPEFULS
Other applicants include City of Windhoek strategic executive for finance Jennifer Comalie and former Namibia Wildlife Resorts CEO Matthias Ngwangwama.
Comalie confirmed she applied and was interviewed, but has not received further communication.
“I did apply for the job and I was interviewed for the position. However, after the interview I have not heard anything from NamPost. They have not called me or said anything since then,” she said.
Ngwangwama said he also did not receive any response after applying.
Independent Patriots for Change member of parliament and shadow minister of information communications and technology Johan Louw expressed concern about the delay.
“What is deeply concerning is the fact that such a major transition to facilitate grant disbursement happened without having the substantive leadership in place to guide that transition and ensure effective implementation,” he said.
He added that continuity in leadership is critical.
“When decisions of this magnitude are made, it is crucial that there is continuity in leadership from the very onset. Being on ‘autopilot’ creates an inability to solve problems or take responsibility when things go wrong. It is a major concern that the administration would make such a crucial shift without having a permanent leadership system in place to oversee it,” Louw said.
The NamPost CEO role carries a salary of over N$2 million a year.
Theofelus attended the NamPost Annual General Meeting (AGM) this month where the company reported on its performance, particularly on progress made in key projects and its intended strategic direction for the year.
Theofelus commended NamPost for the progress made in strengthening its operations and expanding access to postal and financial services across the country.
She said that while the organisation has achieved significant milestones, there remains an opportunity for the organisation to further improve and outperform itself in the years ahead. With 148 service points across Namibia, NamPost provides essential postal and financial services nationwide, often serving as the only financial service provider in many rural communities.
NamPost further highlighted progress in its digital transformation programme, “Project Sky,” launched in 2023 to modernise operations.
Key initiatives include the introduction of digital money transfer services, digital registered mail, and the automation of customer account opening processes. NamPost further reported upgrades to its ICT infrastructure, cybersecurity systems, and banking platforms, aimed at improving operational efficiency and strengthening digital service delivery.
As part of expanding financial services, the organisation is piloting the roll-out of Automated Teller Machines (ATMS) at selected post office locations and participating in Namibia’s Instant Payment Platform (IPP) to enable faster and more accessible digital payments.
NamPost offers several services, including the Biometric SmartCard, automated mail sorting, prepaid courier products, insurance offerings, an interoperable VISA SmartCard, the PostPay Money Transfer Service, a banking app, and internet-based services.
In 2024, NamPost says it employed 699 workers, operated 102 vehicles, handled 1.8 million mail items, and served 251 455 VISA SmartCard to customers. Each post office served around 22 100 customers, with an 85% customer satisfaction rate.
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