Written by Patience Nyangove
Thursday, 18 February 2010
LOCAL business man, Tonata Shiimi, has been fired as General Manager of the Southern Times after he allegedly went on an unauthorised trip with President Hifikepunye Pohamba early this month.
President Pohamba attended the Africa Investment Forum in Accra Ghana where he was accompanied by 50 local business people.
Informanté has it on good authority that Shiimi allegedly demanded special rates in subsistence and travel (S&T) rates when he attended the Forum netting an extra US$200 a day claiming that since it was a Presidential trip he had to get higher allowances.
He also allegedly lied that the Forum would end on Saturday in order to get more S&T allowances when in actual effect it ended Wednesday.
Shiimi had earlier this year embarked on another trip to Ghana when Air Namibia launched its new route to Accra and allegedly “demanded” S&T with both trips gobbling around N$70,000 from The Southern Times coffers.
According to impeccable sources within the weekly regional newspaper co-owned by the Namibian and Zimbabwean Governments, Shiimi was sent packing this Tuesday when the Board met and his contract was terminated with immediate effect.
“The Board was not happy with his unauthorised trip to Ghana where he demanded unsanctioned Travel and Subsistence rates. He was still on probation and for him to go on that trip to Ghana which is not in southern Africa when The Southern Times’ mandate is to only cover this region, he needed authority from the board,” one source said.
According to another source who spoke to Informanté on condition of anonymity, Shiimi, who was appointed General Manager on 1 December 2009, allegedly demanded to be addressed as the Chief Executive Officer of The Southern Times.
“Shiimi was not CEO his title was general manager but he insisted, or should I say demanded, to be addressed as CEO and referred to himself as such. In some correspondence he preferred to sign off as managing director, a non-existent title at the organisation,” the source said.
Acting board chairperson of NamZim, Dr Paul Chimedza, confirmed Shiimi’s sacking.
“It’s true he was fired. He was on probation, so the board felt he is not the right person for the job. However, it’s not the end of the world for him and we are grateful he showed interest in working for the organisation,” Chimedza said.
However, Chimedza refused to reveal the reasons why Shiimi was fired.
“That’s very confidential information maybe we will be able to reveal the details later but now is not the best time,” Chimedza said.
When contacted for comment Shiimi refused to comment telling Informanté that he would get in touch after he gets into his office which he found locked.
However, he never got back and subsequent efforts to get in touch with him proved fruitless as his mobile phone went unanswered and was later answered by a man who said Shiimi was in a meeting and he could not disturb him.
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