Namibia: Haikali Dismissed From NPL

David Adetona

21 April 2011

The board of the Namibia Premier League (NPL) officially announced the dismissal of its CEO, Mathew Haikali, who has been suspended for over two months, on Wednesday this week.

Tovey //Hoëbeb, human resources and finance manager of NPL, will remain in his acting position until the board finds a suitable person.

Speaking at a media briefing this week, Johnny Johnson Doeseb, chairperson of NPL, said that three serious charges of financial irregularity were levelled against Haikali and all three were proven to be valid by an independent panel of legal experts. “Given the serious nature of the offences, the panel and therefore the league had no other option but to terminate the services of the former CEO with effect from the 14th of this month. As such, NPL has officially parted ways with its former employee and he is no longer an employee of the league. We, as board, are now satisfied that this long drawn out case has come to an end and that all stakeholders are duly informed,” Doeseb explained.

Doeseb stated that as the appointed chairperson of the Namibia Premier League, he is satisfied that though the process was lengthy and times laborious, the case came to a conclusion. According to Doeseb, as accountable leaders of the top-flight league in the country, the Namibia Premier League is duty bound to act responsibly in its daily conduct and interactions with its stakeholders, sponsors, clubs, players and public by upholding aspirations, principles and values as enshrined in the governing constitution and statutes of the league. He said with these aspirations and principles in mind, the leadership pledged a few months ago that no stone would be left unturned in their quest to establish the facts and deal with the allegations of financial irregularity against the league’s CEO in a fair, transparent and professional manner.

“We also gave the assurance that stakeholders will be informed once the facts have been established and finality reached on the case that involved the conduct of the chief executive officer of the Namibia Premier League. In honoring that undertaking, the Board of Governors are delighted to inform the public and all stakeholders that we now have reached that stage,” Doeseb said.

Haikali was found guilty of using NPL funds for a pay rise for himself and the staff of the NPL for September, October and November 2010. Haikali had given himself a 76% salary increase and a 37% increase for two other staff members of the NPL, without authorisation.

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