Bob Kandetu Takes Over Informanté

Denver Kisting

14 July 2011

BOB Kandetu, former Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) director general (DG), is to head the controversial weekly tabloid Informanté from Monday.

Kandetu was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the free weekly by the Trustco Group, it was announced yesterday.

According to Trustco group managing director (MD) Quinton van Rooyen, he “had followed Kandetu’s illustrious career and the group is convinced that Kandetu is a resource worth engaging”. He added: “Of additional value is the fact that Uncle Bob has a strong public relations/marketing disposition, exposure and experience. This makes him a potential key player in our corporate communications drive. Uncle Bob will take control of the commercial side of Informanté.”

Trustco and Van Rooyen recently came under fire for the suspension of journalist Brigitte Weidlich and sub-editor Elizabeth M’ule following a story in the tabloid about the failed business marriage between Trustco and Zimbabwean outfit Econet Wireless.

The Media Institute of Southern Africa lashed out at the company, accusing it of censorship.

The tabloid’s previous editor, Max Hamata, also left under a cloud of uncertainty after a story he wrote about the allegedly deteriorating health of founding President Sam Nujoma.

Kandetu’s tenure at the NBC was also shrouded in controversy. He was dismissed in 2009 – barely three years after he took over the national broadcaster’s leadership after being linked to the leader of the Rally of Democracy and Progress, Hidipo Hamutenya.

He was Hamutenya’s campaign manager during the 2004 Swapo presidential-candidate race but was accused of having defected with him after Hamutenya left the ruling party.

Van Rooyen further said: “His career threads an array of strengths ranging from organisational development, management, monitoring and evaluation. Strategic business development, resource mobilisation and resource management as well as experience in industrial relations seems like core strengths.”

Various attempts to reach Kandetu yesterday failed.

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