Namcor board chairperson Utaara Hovekarejectedsuggestions that the company is operating in a leadership vacuum
Source
“Asked whether the board was concerned that the prolonged absence of a substantive managing director had created perceptions that Namcor had been weakened and sidelined in strategic fuel decisions, Hoveka rejected the notion of a leadership vacuum.”
Utaara Hoveka, NAMCOR's Public Relations and Communications SpecialistsaidNAMCOR considers the current fuel procurement arrangement commercially beneficial
Source
“"NAMCOR considers the current fuel procurement arrangement to be commercially beneficial and aligned with its national objectives," said Utaara Hoveka, NAMCOR's Public Relations and Communications Specialist.”
Namcor spokesperson Utaara Hovekasaidthe company's decision to advertise was driven by factors aimed at ensuring continued growth and stability
Source
“Namcor spokesperson Utaara Hoveka yesterday said the company's decision to advertise the managing director position, despite the pending Labour Court case, was driven by several key factors aimed at ensuring the organisation's continued growth and stability.”
Oil industry executives have warned that Namibia faces a defining test as it moves closer to oil production, arguing that discoveries and foreign investment alone will mean little unless the sector translates into jobs, skills and economic opportunities for ordinary Namibians. The warnings were raised at the launch of the fourth Namibia Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, where the theme "From Decision to Dividend: Making Namibia's Oil Work for Namibians" signals a shift from celebrating offshore discoveries to converting petroleum wealth into jobs, business opportunities and skills development.
Why it matters
Oil industry leaders warn Namibia must convert resource wealth into jobs and skills for ordinary citizens, setting the agenda for the oil economy transition.
Oil industry executives have warned that Namibia faces a defining test as it moves closer to oil production, arguing that discoveries and foreign investment alone will mean little unless the sector translates into jobs, skills and economic opportunities for ordinary Namibians. The warnings were raised at the launch of the fourth Namibia Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, where the theme "From Decision to Dividend: Making Namibia's Oil Work for Namibians" signals a shift from celebrating offshore discoveries to converting petroleum wealth into jobs, business opportunities and skills development.
The government awarded a three-month fuel supply arrangement worth an estimated N$7.2 billion to international energy trader Vitol, intensifying scrutiny of governance at state-owned oil company Namcor, which lacks a substantive managing director. Critics claim Namcor submitted a cheaper proposal, raising questions about confidence in the company's operational capacity, though Namcor's board chairperson denied operating in a leadership vacuum.
NAMCOR has defended its coordinated fuel procurement arrangement as commercially beneficial and aligned with national objectives, citing the need to balance affordability, security of supply, and sustainability while rebuilding financial strength after recent difficulties.
Namcor says awarding Vitol a three-month fuel supply contract is "commercially beneficial" and aligned with national objectives, following concerns from parliamentarians and a former managing director that the deal sidelined the state oil company. Namcor cited working capital limitations and previous financial weaknesses requiring N$1.2 billion in government support in April 2024, and additional N$401 million in July and August 2025.
The National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR) has announced that Mtundeni Ndafyaalako, Executive Upstream Development & Production, will serve as Acting Managing Director effective 1 March 2026, pending completion of a recruitment process for a permanent managing director. Ndafyaalako, who joined NAMCOR in 2018 as a geoscientist and brings nearly two decades of oil and gas sector experience, replaces interim MD Maureen Hinda-Mbuende, whose six-month tenure ends 28 February 2026.
Botswana Oil flagged that fuel trucks loaded from Namcor's Walvis Bay terminal in early January failed quality tests for octane rating, raising concerns that substandard fuel may have entered Namibia's retail network and could damage engines. Namcor disputes the allegations, saying the product met specifications at discharge and underwent standard testing procedures.