Leon Jooste – Windhoek Observer

18 Jan

“I remain a member of cabinet until process is concluded”- Jooste

ObserverObserver MoneyI remain a member of cabinet until process is concluded, Leon Jooste, MINISTER of State-owned Enterprises (SOEs)

Eba Kandovazu MINISTER of State-owned Enterprises (SOEs), Leon Jooste, says he will still be in this position for the next two to three months until the reintegration of the ministry into a department within the Ministry of Finance (MoF) is concluded. Jooste is not concerned about whether or not he will be redeployed at the moment, saying his focus is fully on the transition process for now. “I remain a member of Cabinet until the process is concluded, probably two to three months,” he adds. “Everything is going according to plan. We’ll be attending the MoF’s Strategic Planning session next…

03 Nov

Jooste to recommend NHE board recruits this month

ObserverObserver MoneyLeon Jooste, National Housing Enterprise (NHE)

Eba Kandovazu THE recruitment of incoming board members at the National Housing Enterprise (NHE) is at an advanced stage, State Owned Enterprises Minister, Leon Jooste, says. Jooste will be submitting the recommendation to Cabinet before the end of this month. The term of the current board, chaired by Sam Shivute, was extended from October 1st, after it expired in September. “Their term was extended to allow for the recruitment process of the new board to be concluded. The process is advanced and I expect to submit the recommendation to Cabinet before the end of this month,”Jooste says. Other board mmbers…

17 Aug

State enterprises grounded by pandemic

ObserverObserver Money, UncategorisedLeon Jooste, Namibia Airports Company, NWR, Public Enterprises minister

TUJOROMAJO KASUTO PUBLIC Enterprises Minister, Leon Jooste, says the Covid-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc through the country’s economy and majority of public enterprises are experiencing the aftermath with NWR and the Namibia Airports Company gravely strained. “NWR and the Namibia Airports Company were the most severely affected but the fact is that the pandemic is affecting the entire economy and most of our public enterprises are experiencing the consequences,” Jooste says. The ministry has been urging the public enterprises to implement cost cutting measures and to approach financial institutions before they approach the shareholder for assistance. “We are currently assessing…

17 Aug

Jooste orders peace pipe for CRAN and MTC

ObserverObserver MoneyCommunications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), Leon Jooste, Minister of Public Enterprises, Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC)

Staff Writer Minister of Public Enterprises, Leon Jooste, has directed the chairpersons of the feuding Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) and the Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (Cran) to bury the hatchet for the sake of institutional investors. MTC and Cran have been at loggerheads over a number of issues, including the issuing of a telecommunications service licence to the City of Windhoek in 2020, which MTC labelled as ‘anti-competitive’ and against the Communications Act and the Competitions Act. Cran on the other hand claimed that MTC owed the regulator N$300 million in unpaid service levies, a claim MTC refuted. In…

12 May

Jooste to defy Cabinet directive

ObserverObserver MoneyLeon Jooste, Namibia Industrial Development Agency (NIDA), Social Security Commission, State-Qwned Enterprises

Andrew Kathindi Public Enterprises (Pes) Minister, Leon Jooste, could defy a Cabinet directive less than a month after it came into force if he moves ahead to extend the current Fishcor temporary board’s term without any changes to its composition. The Cabinet directive states that Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of State-Qwned Enterprises (SOEs) may not serve on the boards of other SOEs. This comes as Jooste confirmed to Windhoek Observer that he plans to extend the terms of the current Fishcor temporary board made up of two heads of SOEs, Heinrich Mihe Gaomab II, who was on 1 May appointed…

17 Apr

SOE directors to be financially liable for decisions

ObserverUncategorisedLeon Jooste, Namcode, Public Enterprises Governance Act (PEGA), SOE directors to be financially liable for decisions

Maria Hamutenya, Andrew Kathindi Public Enterprise Minister, Leon Jooste, says State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) directors appointed to boards will now be made financially liable for any decision that they enter into on behalf of SOEs that are not in the best interest of the entity. According to Jooste, the Public Enterprises Governance Act (PEGA) has a provision that makes directors appointed, personally liable for the financial implication of the decisions which they enter into on behalf of the said SOE. The development comes as multitudes of Namibians have been applying to seat on SOE boards mainly induced by the benefits and…

14 Apr

Ombudsman blames Jooste for SOE, August 26 mess

ObserverObserver MoneyJohn Walters, Leon Jooste, Ombudsman, Public Enterprises minister

Maria Hamutenya Ombudsman, John Walters, is partly blaming Public Enterprises Minister, Leon Jooste, for the current problems the country’s State Owned Enterprises are facing, in particular August 26. The Minister allegedly has not cooperated during an investigation by the Ombudsman into August 26, while also covering compliance of all public enterprises (PEs) with regards to submitting annual financial statements. The long serving Ombudsman said the Minister even ignored his recommendations, including those which called for August 26 to be audited. “He failed to do more, that’s the reason he did not implement my recommendations. In fact he did not even…

13 Mar

Former SME Bank employees demand N$67m from Government

ObserverUncategorisedFormer SME Bank employees, Iipumbu Shiimi, Leon Jooste, N$67m

Andrew Kathindi Former employees of the now defunct SME Bank are demanding over N$67 million from Government in payment at the value of 12 months’ salary. According to the 208 former employees of the bank, the claim is supported by the recent decision by Finance Minister, Iipumbu Shiimi, to pay out Air Namibia employees’ salaries for one year. The SME Bank employees received their termination of service letters on 25 July 2017, with some only receiving accrued annual leave days, pro-rata bonuses, severance pay and five years long service award for those eligible. “There was no retrenchment package. Nothing at…

23 Feb

No new national airline on the horizon

ObserverObserver MoneyAir Namibia, Leon Jooste, National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), Public Enterprises minister

Andrew Kathindi Public Enterprises Minister, Leon Jooste, has ruled out the establishment of another airline after the liquidation of Air Namibia. The pronouncement by the minister comes after a mass demonstration led by National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), which called for the reversal of Cabinet’s decision on the airline, and for the immediate removal of the State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) minister ended in failure after government reiterated its stance on the closure of Air Namibia. Jooste told Windhoek Observer, “At the moment, the answer is no. So of course, strategically in our normal planning, that's where the Director of…

18 Feb

NUNW guns for Jooste

ObserverObserver MoneyLeon Jooste, National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa Amadhila, Public Enterprises minister

Maria Hamutenya and Kandjemuni Kamuiiri The National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW) is demanding the immediate dismissal of Public Enterprises Minister, Leon Jooste. According to a petition handed over to Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, and SWAPO Secretary-General, Sophia Shaningwa, yesterday, on Wednesday, NUNW Secretary-General Job Muniaro, among others, is accusing the minister of violating his oath of office. In the petition, Muniaro alleged that Jooste had carried himself “in a dishonest manner, by under representing and deliberately misdirecting the Cabinet to take a decision that is tantamount to violation of Article 95 of the Namibian Constitution on state policy. Maintaining…