Power must serve the law, not the ego

Before courts determine whether Minister Veikko Nekundi acted within the law in dismissing the Namibia Airports Company (NAC) board, the public debate has already exposed a broader governance question that extends well beyond one state-owned enterprise.

It is a question every minister, every board and every public official should confront: where does political authority end and institutional governance begin?

That question matters because Namibia’s public enterprises are not extensions of individual ministers. They are statutory institutions created to serve the public interest. Their success depends on good governance, legal certainty and professional management, not personalities, politics or power struggles.

The dismissal of the NAC board has rapidly evolved into more than a dispute over the disposal of vehicles or allegations of governance failures. It has become a test of how faithfully government itself adheres to the rule of law.

The former board members have mounted a detailed defence of their record. They argue that they inherited an institution facing severe financial distress, declining cash reserves, operational challenges and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. They point to measurable improvements, including a return to profitability, consecutive unqualified audit opinions, reduced litigation, improved governance ratings and the completion of strategic infrastructure projects.

Minister Nekundi, on the other hand, maintains that his intervention was necessary to strengthen governance and restore confidence in the institution.

Both positions deserve to be heard.

Neither should be accepted simply because of who is making the argument.

This is precisely why the law provides processes through which allegations can be tested objectively rather than politically.