NTB employees petition environment minister

WINDHOEK, 12 JUL  – Employees of the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) Wednesday staged a peaceful demonstration in front of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) building demanding the removal of their Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Digu //Naobeb.
The employees also requested that an investigation be carried out by the ministry or the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on //Naobeb’s unaudited office account.
They further demanded that the entire board of directors be dissolved and for the line minister to appoint a new accounting officer.
The march follows a similar one held last week Tuesday, where they made the same request and demands.
However, their petition was not received by any of the board members at the time, hence their decision to march to the office building of MET in the capital.
Chairperson of the workers union representative committee, Theo Kamatoto, who read the petition on behalf of the workers, stressed that workers were aggrieved by unfair labour practices and mismanagement since 2011.
He explained that grievances directed to the board raising concerns of victimisation by //Naobeb were referred back to be resolved by him, “making him the player and referee at the same time”.
The workers further alleged that board members were also owners of tourism businesses, describing it as a conflict of interest.
“Who are we regulating if the board chairperson got away with an unregistered company (Wild Africa Travel) that was awarded tenders and still got appointed as the board chairperson?” they claimed.
The ministry was given until 18 July 2018 to respond to the petition and failure to do so would result in more demonstrations and filing of a dispute case with the Labour Commissioner.
The petition was received by MET’s Director of Tourism and Gaming, Sam Shikongo on behalf of the minister, Pohamba Shifeta.
(NAMPA)