Meatco board fails to appoint CEO as acting term expires

Hertta Maria Amutenja

The Meat Corporation of Namibia (Meatco) is heading into August without a substantive chief executive officer. 

Acting CEO Patrick Liebenberg confirmed to Windhoek Observer that his six-month term will end this month.

“I only will serve my six months, which will end at the end of July. Not been extended; I didn’t ask for an extension. The recruitment process is handled by the board because management doesn’t have any input into the recruitment process,” Liebenberg said on Wednesday.

Liebenberg was appointed in February after the board decided not to renew the contract of former CEO Mwilima Mushokabanji. 

At the time, Meatco said it had started advertising the position, but the vacancy was later withdrawn.

Deputy board chairperson Stefanie de Klerk confirmed that the recruitment process is still ongoing. 

“The process of recruiting a CEO or member of the executive is a long-standing and accepted labour- and governance-statute-principled process. The process is well within the skill set and capabilities of the Board; thus, the Board is seized with making the requisite arrangements to ensure that the operations of Meatco continue in line with its strategy, notwithstanding any ongoing or anticipated recruitment process,” she said.

She added that the board continues to engage the ministry of finance. 

“Our joint efforts remains to ensure that Meatco delivers on its mandate to improve the Namibian socio-economic environment, through maximising producer returns,” said de Klerk.

In April, reports emerged that Cabinet was attempting to reinstate Mushokabanji as CEO, despite a legal opinion by the attorney general stating that only the board has the authority to appoint a CEO.

The controversy led to internal tensions. Former board chairperson Sakaria Nghikembua resigned in June, citing pressure to carry out unlawful directives. 

Agriculture Minister Ingwe Zaamwani told Parliament on June 18 that she had tried to convince Nghikembua to stay, but he had already finalised his resignation.

Meatco is also facing governance issues after the reported disappearance of about 400 cattle from the Linden Beef Feedlot. 

In a report dated 25 June, Liebenberg informed the ministry of finance that the matter was criminal and did not involve Meatco staff.

Secretary to Cabinet Emilia Mkusa later wrote to finance executive director Michael Humavindu, calling for an urgent briefing and warning of a potential breakdown in corporate controls. 

She stated that the disappearance of such a large number of cattle under the care of a state-owned entity is “wholly unacceptable”.

The board has not given a timeline for the appointment of a new CEO.

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