NEPC defends appointing CEO with just Grade 12

The New Era Publication Corporation (NEPC) board has defended its decision to appoint Christof Maletsky as the company's new CEO, despite only having a Grade 12 certificate as his highest formal qualification.In December 2019, NEPC appointed the veteran journalist and former managing editor of The Namibian as CEO on a five-year contract. At The Namibian, the managing editor reported to the editor of the newspaper.The advert for the job late last year had stated that applicants must, at minimum, possess a bachelor's degree.But the board has seemingly circumvented its own requirements and appointed the former freelance journalist.NEPC board chairman Esauw Mbako says Maletsky, who left The Namibian in 2019, came out tops ahead of former Unam pro-vice chancellor Boniface Mutumba, a PhD holder, and the then acting CEO of NEPC Benjamin Jakobs, whose highest qualification is a master's in business administration from Unam. In total, five candidates were interviewed.“The board was fully aware that he does not have tertiary qualifications,” Mbako told Namibian Sun.“When he applied, he was shortlisted on the strength of his wealth of experience. One of the requirements we were looking for was a combination of academic [qualifications] and experience. We were looking at a person who has relevant experience particularly in the area of journalism and at leadership level and some time in a managerial capacity. So, it was on that basis that he was appointed,” he saidMaletsky yesterday said he is registered for an MBA in media leadership with the University of Cumbria in the UK and started the course last year.He produced proof of his first tuition payment to the university, made in January.“I am really just here to turn around affairs and to deliver a good product,” Maletsky said.As head of the corporation, which is currently insolvent, Maletsky is tasked to find solutions to the company's soaring debt to the Receiver of Revenue, which currently stands at nearly N$85 million, as well as work on steering the company towards financial self-sustenance.Another immediate success expected of Maletsky is to find solutions to the company's transport issues, which affect coverage of news and distribution of newspapers.Namibian Sun understands that the board has ordered that Maletsky must, as a matter of urgency, be enrolled in short strategic management courses to gain skills at that level.The board, whose extended term ends this month, also told the CEO to obtain a tertiary education qualification.Information minister Stanley Simataa, under whose portfolio NEPC falls, did not answer questions on how he convinced cabinet to approve the appointment of a candidate who has no formal tertiary qualifications.He referred all questions to the NEPC board of directors.Maletsky told Namibian Sun that he is now in the last month of his studies and denied that he was unfairly favoured ahead of candidates with not only the required qualifications but also proven management records at corporate level.JEMIMA BEUKES

NEPC defends appointing CEO with just Grade 12

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-17

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NEPC defends appointing CEO with just Grade 12

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-17

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