Questionable appointments and ideological differences with the regulator appear to stand between NamPower boss Kahenge Simson Haulofu and his bid for a new contract at the helm of the power utility.
Haulofu has entered the final six months of his contract. Those in the know said that he received renewed hope for an extension when former mines minister Natangwe Ithete allegedly forced the parastatal’s board to reverse its decision to advertise the CEO’s post. Such hopes have however been dashed when Ithete was fired last year.
The Issue has, however, learnt that despite the reversal, it is not smooth sailing for Haulofu, who has some contentious items to deal with as 2026 kicks off.
He appears to be facing an uphill battle to secure a third five-year term, with some of his principals questioning his ability to ensure energy generation and security for the country.
In terms of figures, the cost of electricity for ordinary Namibians has been increasing by 3% every year for the last five years. In 2024 Namibia imported 48% of its electricity, with NamPower only able to cater for 52% of the country’s power needs. This has pushed the cost of electricity to N$2.78 per unit because of the high cost of imported electricity, which is mainly brought during peak hours of the day.
Haulofu also faces allegations of nepotism in senior management recruitment. A case in point is the December appointment of Benedictus Mingeli, who was the senior manager responsible for generation projects, to the position of chief operations officer. Despite being Haulofu’s preferred candidate, The Issue has it on good authority that Mingeli did not emerge from the process as the top candidate, but came second. Those in the know said that Hopsol Africa chief executive officer Silvester Wayiti was the top candidate but was sidelined.
Haulofu, during December, confirmed Mingeli’s appointment but refused to answer specific questions about the recruitment process, citing confidentiality. He only said the appointment was done in line with the parastatal’s recruitment and selection policy.
Overlooking Wayiti has sparked speculation that he could be an obstacle to some NamPower officials’ CEO ambitions.
ECB standoff
Haulofu’s woes are not limited to NamPower; he is currently on a collision course with industry regulator, the Electricity Control Board (ECB). The disagreement, The Issue has learnt, revolves around the proposed removal of the Modified Single Buyer (MSB) office out of NamPower.
The MSB office is responsible for managing electricity trading between independent power suppliers, NamPower and bulk power consumers, like government and local authorities. The office was birthed after new regulations now include provisions for bulk electricity buyers to purchase up to 30% of their electricity independently of NamPower. This means independent power producers are now able to sell electricity to clients other than NamPower.
While 70% of energy trading will still have to be done through NamPower, the MSB office is responsible for guaranteeing security of supply, should any of the independent power producers be unable to supply its promised 30% to a particular bulk client.
The ECB is calling for the MSB office to be removed from NamPower and, in the interim, have the MSB head, Paulina Iyambo, vacate her position as a member of the Central North Regional Electricity Distributor (Cenored) board. The regulator allegedly cited conflict of interest as its reason.
NamPower is refusing to comply with the regulator’s demand and accusing the ECB of interference and insisting that Iyambo was appointed by NamPower to represent the utility on the Cenored board, in line with its rights as a shareholder. However, some industry insiders insist that there is no conflict, since NamPower is not competing with independent power producers.
Haulofu, however, refused to respond to specific questions, insisting NamPower’s interactions with the ECB are confidential and not open for discussion with the media.
ECB boss Robert Kahimise last month told The Issue that the regulator’s position was informed by audits conducted.
“Such interventions should not be construed as operational interference,” Kahimise said in his emailed response. He added that the findings have been shared with NamPower and insists that as the regulator, the ECB is within its mandate to ensure government policy is adhered to in a transparent and fair manner.
