Uaandja, Iipumbu smoke peace pipe

The Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) has issued a grovelling apology to the trade ministry for its past “errors”.Two entities have been on the warpath since the NIPDB’s inception two years ago, with the board often accused of attempting to usurp the ministry’s powers.Trade minister Lucia Iipumbu, at one point, even went as far as instructing ministerial officials to ignore directives issued to them by the board’s CEO Nangula Uaandja.Uaandja made the apology in a letter dated 6 April under the subject ‘Commercial Counsellors’.“The NIPDB apologises sincerely for the errors made during this learning process, and remains committed to working productively with the [ministry] in achieving our collective ambitions both at home and abroad for the betterment of Namibia and her people,” she wrote.Several ministerial officials have corroborated claims that Iipumbu was not impressed with the manner in which the board attempted to ‘hijack’ investment-related activities from her ministry, a situation which prompted an extraordinary rebuke from Ipumbu.Buried the hatchetAt media engagement breakfast held in the capital yesterday, Uaandja pointed out that the trade ministry and the board have finally buried the hatchet as far as roles are concerned.She said, upon inception, the board wanted to put a new policy in place to ensure that the legacy strategy of investment promotion is altered to ensure that “we do not continue things the way they were”.Uaandja said the board has always maintained that future action with regards to foreign representation will be informed by the board’s strategy, without disadvantaging the investment and trade facilitation roles.“We had the discussion around the matter and sorted it out; we now know who plays which roles,” she said.NIPDB’s biggest task has always been the expectation to prove that it is not a duplication of the trade ministry and that it has a legitimate role to play.The situation was so dire, President Hage Geingob had to intervene by telling the board that there should be no duplication of functions between the board and other government ministries, offices and agencies.Allegations of nepotism have also been making the rounds at the board.Wheelbarrowing croniesSecretary to Cabinet George Simataa was last year tasked to meet with Uaandja following allegations that she “wheelbarrowed unqualified cronies” into key positions.The claims were submitted to Geingob by a group of aggrieved workers of the Namibia Investment Centre, now seconded to the NIPDB.In a letter dated 6 September 2021, Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila informed Uaandja that the Office of the President has issued her with a directive to take up the matter.

Uaandja, Iipumbu smoke peace pipe

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-02

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Uaandja, Iipumbu smoke peace pipe

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-02

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