WINDHOEK – Public Enterprise Minister Leon Jooste has expressed his frustration over the non-appointment of a CEO at Meatco.

Meatco has been operational without a substantive CEO since the resignation of Advocate Vekuii Rukoro in December 2017.
Jooste, who is now responsible for supervising at least 18 strategic profit-driven state-owned enterprises, raised this concern during a brief interview with New Era yesterday. The Meatco board in March 2017 sent Rukoro on forced leave pending an investigation over allegations of administrative decisions that included appointments of agents and decisions that led to the company losing a lot of money. His suspension follows a lengthy collision course with the company’s board of directors. Rukoro and Meatco later that year December agreed to a N$3 million separation 

In February last year, Meatco appointed Jannie Breytenbach as acting CEO. Breytenbach replaced Ingo Schneider who was acting in that position since the suspension of Rukoro in March 2017.

Jooste yesterday said he wrote a letter last week Wednesday to Meatco board chairperson Martha Namundjebo-Tilahun to ask for an explanation on the delay in recruiting a CEO. Also, in April last year, the company shortlisted seven candidates for the CEO position.

Those shortlisted, New Era understands, were among others former Meatco executive for livestock procurement Vehaka Tjimune, Meatco senior IT manager Louis Becker, a certain Andre Snyman and the founding CEO of the National Commission on Research, Science and Technology Dr Eino Emvula, who is currently the chief operations officer at Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund. 

When asked about those shortlisted last year, Jooste said, “That’s the information I’ve asked for. To understand their intentions to recruit the CEO and how they will expedite it.”