NUST infighting: Naomab, Kaumbi kiss and make up

Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) vice-chancellor Dr Erold Naomab and the institution's legal head Joshua Kaumbi have committed to resolving their differences following a reconciliation meeting held a fortnight ago.

The strained relationship between the two had started adversely impacting the operations of the institution. So dire was the situation, according to insiders, that Kaumbi did not attend council meetings and Naomab was allegedly seeking external legal advice instead of using the in-house lawyer.

The broken relationship between the two ran so deep that one of higher education minister Dr Itah Kandjii-Murangi’s directives, when she appointed the incumbent council in August 2023, was for them to find a lasting solution to the impasse.

“You recall that one of the deliverables that this present interim council was requested to do by the honourable minister is to address the strained relationship between [Naomab] and [Kaumbi]. The minister told us that the relationship between the two NUST executives has started negatively affecting the working environment, and thus needs to be urgently addressed,” NUST council chairperson Dr Leake Hangala said in an email to his fellow council members a week ago.

Insiders have revealed that the council has been working around the clock to defuse the tension which has led to the two not speaking for some time now.

Earlier this month, a landmark breakthrough was made when Hangala brought the men around the same table to iron out their issues, and they ended up signing a reconciliation agreement in which they committed to smoke the peace pipe.

Fraught working conditions

The 14 March meeting laid out the acrimonious relationship between Naomab and Kaumbi, revealing the fraught working conditions.

“The relationship between Naomab and Kaumbi has become so strained and began to affect the effective and professional relationship between the two,” according to a summary of the meeting provided to this publication.

“Consequently, this has also started to affect the working environment between the two offices as well as the operational efficiency and governance of the entire university,” it said.

Namibian Sun has had sight of the agreement in which the two men conceded that the working relationship among them had broken down, and was in need of salvaging for the benefit of the institution.

“Both [Naomab] and [Kaumbi] expressed their views on what they believed is the origin and causes of the strained relationship. They both admitted that the adversity is not good for them professionally, to their respective offices and to the overall operations and governance of the entire university,” the agreement read.

According to the document, Naomab and Kaumbi undertake to amend their professional relationship, forgive each other and close the chapter on their charged relationship.

“Kaumbi will withdraw a grievance lodged against Naomab as a gesture of his commitment to a mutual and good faith resolution of the strained relationship” and will pursue his master’s degree in law for the university’s staff development benefit.

Kaumbi also agreed to resume attending council meetings to “enable him to provide effective legal advice to [Naomab] and/or the council”, the agreement read.

The council also decided to send all NUST executive committee members on a mandatory corporate governance course.

Serious allegations

Approached for comment last week, Hangala said the matter had still not been concluded because “it is an internal matter and all processes are not yet finalised”.

On his part, Kaumbi said reconciliation between himself and Naomab would be in the best interest of NUST.

"I remain indebted to the leadership of [Hangala], a product of the golden generation of young people the founding fathers of our republic entrusted with responsibilities at an early age to establish credible institutions," he said.

Naomab did not respond when comment was sought from him.

The relationship between the two allegedly soured following the leakage of sensitive information into Naomab’s conduct. He now faces an Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) probe.

Naomab stands accused of misuse of public funds, nepotism, tribalism and abuse of power.

"These are serious allegations of administrative corruption against the management of the public institution of the academy, which should not be taken lightly," ACC boss Paulus Noa wrote in a letter dated 22 June 2023.

Kaumbi was suspected to have been the one who leaked the information to the public and was subsequently suspended by Naomab. His suspension was eventually lifted.