By Hilda Basson Namundjebo
Dr. Myles Munroe, my friend and mentor who passed on in November 2014, taught that governance is stewardship; and that the management of resources and people are done on behalf of a higher being.
In public enterprises, this translates to serving citizens, not just shareholders or ministries. He warned that leadership without character leads to corruption, and that vision without values leads to manipulation.
Namibia’s own journey; from a standalone Ministry of Public Enterprises to integration under the Ministry of Finance, and now to the Prime Minister’s Office, echoes South Africa’s trajectory.
Both countries are grappling with the same question: How do we govern SOEs in a way that ensures performance, integrity, and alignment with national development goals?
The answer seems to lie not in where the oversight sits; but in how governance is exercised: through competent boards, ethical leadership, and clear accountability frameworks.
Namibia is entering a new era of governance – one where board competence, ethical leadership, and public value move from mere aspiration to imperatives that are both legal and strategic.
The tabling of the Public Enterprises Governance Amendment Act by Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare earlier this month marks a decisive shift in how state-owned enterprises (SOEs) will be governed. When paired with the King V Report, this moment offers a rare opportunity to recalibrate boardroom standards and national expectations.
We would be found wanting if we do not fully comprehend the opportunity of what can only be described as a governance reset.
Why Do Public Enterprises Exist?
In Namibian law, public enterprises are defined as state-owned entities established to perform commercial, developmental, or regulatory functions on behalf of the government. Their statutory role is to deliver public value, support national development goals, and operate with transparency, efficiency, and accountability.
They are not peripheral – they are central to Namibia’s economic resilience and social transformation.
Over to you; Mr Prime Minister
One of the most significant changes introduced by the Amendment Act is the transfer of oversight powers from the former Ministry of Finance & Public Enterprises to the Office of the Prime Minister. These include:
- Authority to oversee governance, management, and performance of all public enterprises
- Power to issue binding directives, approve board appointments, and determine remuneration packages
- Mandate to ensure compliance with national policies, with directives carrying the force of law once gazetted
This centralisation signals a shift toward executive accountability, strategic coherence, and tighter alignment with national development goals. Boards must now operate within a more structured and politically visible framework, demanding not only technical competence but also diplomatic agility, emotional intelligence, ethical clarity, and strategic alignment.
Board Competence—A New Demand
The Amendment Act introduces a recruitment committee to vet board appointments, aligning with King V’s call for cognitive diversity and ethical leadership. Competence now includes:
- Lived experience and generational insight
- Ethical reasoning and cultural fluency
- Strategic foresight and digital literacy
This marks a shift from technical expertise alone to multidimensional intelligence – where board members must navigate complexity, display sound judgment, exhibit stakeholder fluency, and lead with values.
In Namibia, where 71% of the population is between 0-35, this opens up space for youth voices, gender-balanced leadership, and indigenous knowledge systems. Wisdom is no longer confined to age or title; it emerges from context, conscience, and community.
A new competency checklist guides boards toward diversity, national alignment, and transparent evaluation. Governance is now being positioned as a strategic lever for sustainability.
Why This Matters
Namibia’s SOEs are not just economic actors – they are nation and brand builders. The convergence of King V and the Amendment Act offers a blueprint for purposeful governance, where competence is measured not just by compliance, but by impact.
This is an opportunity for Namibia to rethink succession planning and board appointments. Also, we must coach, develop and build the leadership pipelines that is reflective of Namibia’s demographic reality. Finally, our boards must align with national development goals and global standards.
Boards that embrace this shift will not only meet legal thresholds, they will model the kind of leadership our institutions, youth, and future deserve.
Final Thought: What Is Not Being Said?
Board members must be more than technically competent. They must be strategically intelligent, ethically grounded, and politically literate. Not partisan – but aware. Because in the public enterprise space, governance is never truly neutral. It is exercised within a political ecosystem shaped by national priorities, public expectations, and shifting power dynamics.
A technically brilliant board member who only understands finance, law, or operations, but fails to grasp the political expressions of governance, risks becoming irrelevant or even obstructive.
Boards are composed of leaders and leadership comes at a cost. And the cause is always bigger than you – It’s about service.
*Hilda is a business leader, public speaker and a seasoned broadcast journalist. Founder of the national brand and organisation Team Namibia, Hilda believes her purpose is to impact the world with kindness, one engagement at a time.
