Justicia Shipena
Operational decisions taken by former Namib Desert Diamonds (Pty) Ltd (Namdia) chief executive officer, Alisa Amupolo, led to financial losses for the company between April 2023 and July 2024, an independent disciplinary hearing has found.
On Friday, Namdia announced that it had terminated Amupolo’s employment with immediate effect.
The decision followed the conclusion of a disciplinary hearing that began in November 2024 and ended on 23 September 2025.
Namdia’s public relations and communications officer, Beverley Coussement, confirmed that the hearing found Amupolo guilty of two counts of gross negligence and one count of gross insubordination.
“The hearing established that certain decisions made by Dr Amupolo during the periods of April to August 2023, May 2024, and July 2024 caused losses to the business,” Coussement said.
Amupolo was appointed as Namdia’s CEO in 2022.
However, by mid-2024, she faced internal resistance after employees accused her of incompetence and claimed her decisions had cost the company over N$230 million in lost revenue.
Workers wrote to the company’s board through the Mineworkers Union of Namibia (MUN), stating that she was unfit to lead and that her leadership had weakened Namdia’s international relationships with global diamantaires.
The letter claimed her actions had turned the company’s financial position from profitable to struggling, saying Namdia could no longer afford to purchase diamonds for resale to international clients.
Amupolo, who came from a media background, previously served as CEO of PowerCom, a subsidiary of Telecom Namibia.
Employees accused her of lacking understanding of the diamond industry and the expertise needed to manage the company in a competitive market.
In August 2024, Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani raised concerns over Namdia’s revenue losses, calling them “deeply troubling” and urging the parliamentary standing committee on natural resources, then chaired by Tjekero Tweya, to initiate a probe into the matter.
Namdia board chairperson, Justus Hausiku, said the decision to terminate Amupolo’s contract was made in the company’s best interest.
“The board believes this decision is necessary for the success of Namdia in a complex, competitive, and rapidly evolving market,” he said.
Hausiku thanked Amupolo for her service since 2022 and wished her well in her future endeavours.
He clarified that the dismissal was unrelated to the ongoing investigation into the diamond theft that occurred in January 2025, which led to Amupolo’s suspension in February.
“This termination arises from a separate disciplinary matter that preceded the theft investigation,” Hausiku said.
In February 2025, Namdia’s board suspended Amupolo along with chief operations officer, Uahoroka Kauta and security manager, Paulinus Sheyapo, for ignoring a police warning about a possible robbery.
The robbery took place on 18 January and resulted in the loss of diamonds worth about N$350 million.
Amupolo retains the right to appeal the board’s decision under company policy.
Meanwhile, Lelly Usiku will continue to serve as interim CEO until a permanent appointment is made.
Caption
Namdia chief executive officer, Alisa Amupolo
- Photo: NawaZone
