Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) has scoffed at allegations that its members resigned en masse to join the Namibia Local Business Association (Naloba).
Naloba claims that about 2 000 NCCI members resigned to join them. NCCI chief executive officer Charity Mwiya yesterday said the claims of mass resignation of members are false and misplaced.
She described Naloba as misguided individuals and groups purporting to speak on behalf of Namibia’s business sector. “Such amateurish behaviour cannot be condoned or tolerated,” she said.
Mwiya added that Naloba, its leadership and claimed membership are not breakaways from the NCCI, and the NCCI is not experiencing a loss of membership.
“It is unclear where the black business people are departing from,” she said. She said business people claiming to have resigned from the NCCI have not been paying subscription fees.
Mwiya says NCCI membership records show that of the 26 businesses who resigned from the NCCI, none are currently members in good standing. Investigations show membership of two lapsed in 2019 due to failure to pay their annual subscription fee.
“Concerning a claim that Naloba is a competitor organisation to NCCI, it must be made clear that the chamber is a voluntary business support organisation funded largely by members paying an annual subscription.
“Representing Namibia’s business community is not a beauty pageant or contest,” she said.
She added that the NCCI does not accommodate individuals who wish to push their own agenda, settle scores with competitors, or cultivate a political career. In addition, Mwiya said any notion put forward that the NCCI is not working to support struggling entrepreneurs is not true.
She said there are several key examples showing how Naloba founding members received substantial support and benefits from their involvement with the NCCI in the past, including when subscriptions were unpaid.
According to Mwiya, those who haven’t paid their NCCI membership fees include Naloba president Erastus Shapumba, his deputy Peter Amadhila, David Sheehama David of Kambwa Trading, and the association’s secretary general Sacky Namuhuja.
Others are Triple One Investments CC owner Laurentius Iipinge, who is also Okalongo constituency councillor, businessman Peter Nambele and Tomas Shihungileni of Pellon Investment CC. Amadhila did not answer calls and text messages to his mobile phone before going to print.
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