Staff Reporter
WORKERS from the national rail services operator in Namibia, TransNamib, today held a peaceful demonstration and handed in a petition to the Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises regarding the reappointment of Webster Gonzo as the Human Capital Executive for a third term.
Narina Pollman, General Secretary of the Namibia Transport and Allied Workers Union (NATAU), said employees have strongly opposed Gonzo’s reappointment, which would mean he would remain at the institution for 15 years after his third reappointment.
She added that employees’ grievances remain unresolved, and his return has heightened concerns about management’s disregard for employee welfare and feedback.
“Mr Gonzo personally arranged long-term contracts with full benefits (medical and pension) for Zimbabwean expatriates brought in to refurbish locomotives, despite no successful outcomes. These contracts bypassed normal recruitment protocols and ignored the qualifications of local artisans, who are more qualified in dual trade skills. Additionally, these expatriates were issued contracts exceeding the two-year work permit limits set by the Ministry of Home Affairs,” Pollman said.
She added that several key positions have remained unfilled for years, and that local employees have been acting in roles for over nine years, contravening the company’s policy, which recommends confirmation after six months of acting. “Instead, Gonzo insists on re-advertising these roles, leading to dissatisfaction and organisational instability,” Pollman said.
The SG of NATAU added that since Gonzo’s tenure began, employee benefits have reportedly worsened and that Gonzo unilaterally adjusted employment conditions, diminishing benefit packages. This includes the implementation of a housing allowance policy that inadvertently disadvantaged a portion of employees, as well as the removal of the 13th cheque. Both of these issues were, however, rectified by the current CEO after recent wage negotiations.
The workers thus called for Gonzo to be relieved of his current duties as Employee Human Capital Executive to ensure that fair and impartial investigations can be conducted on his reappointment.
Responding to the protest, TransNamib’s spokesperson, Abigail Raubenheimer, said that the decision to retain the Executive is strategically sound, ensuring that TransNamib’s operations remain stable as they prepare for the procurement of new N$2.6 billion locomotives. “Removing any executive for uncorroborated reasons at this critical transformational juncture of TransNamib’s turnaround strategy would undermine our foundational strength and hinder our readiness to fully operationalise our services. The Executive: Human Capital has played an integral role in developing both the first and the latest Integrated Strategic Business Plan (ISBP), which is ready for roll-out,” Raubenheimer said.
She added that there is no factual basis for TransNamib not to accord Gonzo the opportunity to continue to serve TransNamib. “The Executive played a crucial role in holding the helm of TransNamib as Acting CEO for over a year during a very difficult time and discharged his duties with commitment. This will be key in ensuring effective support of the new CEO as he navigates the challenges facing TransNamib,” Raubenheimer said.
The petition was received by the Executive Director of the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises, Titus Ndove, who said that the Minister of Finance, Iipumbu Shiimi, could not receive the petition personally due to the fact that he had to table the mid-term budget, but assured the workers that their concerns would be looked into with serious consideration and that they would receive a response before elections.
