EDITORIAL: Protect the national treasure that is Namcor
The battle for the soul of our national oil company, Namcor, gives us a sneak peek into things to come.
For too long, our public enterprises had become the fiefdom of parochial interest – with line ministers often looking the other way as those winning the nasty dogfights become catalysts for the interest of the political establishment.
Sometimes you look at these fights and wonder: Do we still have a political leadership to whom these supposed technocrats report? This cannot be allowed in what is set to become the country’s leading economic sector.
Until recently, Namcor was lying in state. It was in the evening of its existence before, lo and behold, oil prospects became glaring. With its resurrection came vultures circling above that orange building along Aviation Road – each hoping to snatch a piece of that national treasure.
If Namcor is not jealously and carefully protected from above, self-interest will run it into the ground. There are clear signs of this already and it would be foolhardy of us to ignore them.
Like Noah’s ark, which left non-believers behind amid fatal floods, Namibia too will be left at the perils of neglect if Namcor bigwigs are allowed to play without referees to police their conduct.
Minister Iipumbu Shiimi has a battle on his hands. When all is said and done, those hands will either be dripping oil - or blood from the casualties of these vicious fights.
For too long, our public enterprises had become the fiefdom of parochial interest – with line ministers often looking the other way as those winning the nasty dogfights become catalysts for the interest of the political establishment.
Sometimes you look at these fights and wonder: Do we still have a political leadership to whom these supposed technocrats report? This cannot be allowed in what is set to become the country’s leading economic sector.
Until recently, Namcor was lying in state. It was in the evening of its existence before, lo and behold, oil prospects became glaring. With its resurrection came vultures circling above that orange building along Aviation Road – each hoping to snatch a piece of that national treasure.
If Namcor is not jealously and carefully protected from above, self-interest will run it into the ground. There are clear signs of this already and it would be foolhardy of us to ignore them.
Like Noah’s ark, which left non-believers behind amid fatal floods, Namibia too will be left at the perils of neglect if Namcor bigwigs are allowed to play without referees to police their conduct.
Minister Iipumbu Shiimi has a battle on his hands. When all is said and done, those hands will either be dripping oil - or blood from the casualties of these vicious fights.
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Namibian Sun
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