Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Timo Shihepo
Published on 2024-03-30 06:00:00
The National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (Namcor) has recently suspended its information and communication technology executive, Bonifatius Konjore, due to ongoing issues with a software system that has not been fully functional. Despite costing the company N$68 million, Konjore’s suspension does not imply guilt or wrongdoing but is a standard procedure to ensure a fair and impartial investigation.
The suspension of Konjore, effective immediately on Monday, was confirmed by Namcor spokesperson Utaara Hoveka. It is part of an internal investigation into possible misconduct, and more suspensions within the company may follow. In Konjore’s absence, Louis du Toit, the executive for finance and administration, will be acting in his place.
The software system in question was awarded to Green Enterprise Solutions in January 2020 to supply, install, implement, test, and commission an enterprise resource planning system for managing business activities. Despite objections and concerns regarding irregularities in the tender award process from companies like New Point Electronic Solutions and Virtual Technologies, Green Enterprise Solutions emerged as the winner of the tender.
The initial budget for the software system tender was N$23 million in 2020, but the cost escalated to N$68 million by May 2023. Namcor had planned to spend an additional N$14 million by March of the current year, as indicated in documents prepared by the Department of Information and Communication Technology. Employee complaints, including incorrect payments and functionality issues within the system, have been a cause of concern.
Staff members at Namcor have expressed dissatisfaction with the increased spending on a system that is not operating efficiently. An Excel spreadsheet revealed over 70 complaints from employees in various departments, citing issues such as incorrect payments, difficulties in amending order quantities, and notifications not reaching specific users as intended.
Furthermore, concerns have been raised about discrepancies in transactions, pricing, trading budgets not being loaded, and challenges in sales volume monitoring. The suspended managing director of Namcor, Immanuel Mulunga, signed the contract with Green Enterprise Solutions in December 2021, along with the company’s chairperson, Llewellyn le Hane. Despite these challenges, Mulunga, who was suspended in April 2023, claimed to be unaware of the issues.
Green Enterprise Solutions’ managing director, Kehad Snydewel, denied any wrongdoing and disputed claims of price escalation, despite evidence to the contrary being available. The situation has brought to light operational and financial challenges faced by Namcor due to the malfunctioning software system.
In conclusion, the suspension of Bonifatius Konjore and the ongoing investigation into the software system issues at Namcor underscore the importance of proper governance and accountability within the organization. The company will need to address these challenges effectively to ensure optimal functionality and operational efficiency in the future.
Read the original article on The Namibian
