The Governor of the Otjozondjupa Region, John Julius //Khamuseb has ordered the Central Northern Regional Electricity Distributor (CENORED) to urgently halt an ongoing recruitment process at the power distributor.  Furthermore, //Khamuseb has called for an urgent stakeholders’ meeting to address what he described as “serious governance issues” and allegations of favoritism in the recruitment processes. 

Those invited to the November 18, 2025 meeting include all mayors and chief executive officers within the Otjozondjupa region, the entire regional council, Nampower and the Electricity Control Board. In the invitation letter dated 03 November 2025, //Khamuseb reiterated his concern, saying the regional leadership continues to receive “grave concerns from the public regarding allegations of nepotism, corruption, tribalism and favoritism in the recruitment and employment processes within CENORED.”

He warned that “such actions undermine regional empowerment, erode trust and violate the principles of equity and fairness that guide public-serving institutions.”

The Governor emphasized that: “Tribalism and discrimination in any form have no place in our society and must be rooted out completely.”

To address these issues, //Khamuseb called for urgent meeting which he says is aimed at fostering open dialogue and “agreeing on actionable interventions to safeguard the rights and interests of the region’s citizens.”

He added that all public enterprises must operate “transparently and in full alignment with national laws, corporate governance standards, and inclusive development goals.”

HOW IT STARTED

Previously, in a letter dated 13 August 2025 addressed to the CENORED board chairperson, //Khamuseb said his office had been “approached by disgruntled potential candidates who were excluded from interviews, some of whom had worked for CENORED as contractors for more than three years.”

He added that “the management is promoting corruption, nepotism, favoritism and regionalism, which in my view are serious allegations that need to be verified and investigated.” //Khamuseb further advised the Board to “put aside all interviews and investigate the allegations and bring all the culprits to book.”

The letters seen by this publication shows that CENORED’s recruitment process appears to exclude qualified candidates from within its operational areas mainly, Otjozondjupa, Okahandja, Outjo, Omaheke and Kunene in favor of individuals from other regions. 

“I am not against anyone outside CENORED being employed,” he wrote, “but the majority must come out from CENORED’s area of jurisdiction. Through that we will be able to reduce unemployment and eradicate poverty.”