Haingura fights for Swakopmund municipality job
Interview panel’s recommendation ignored
The panel - headed by the municipality's CEO Archie Benjamin - recommended that the top candidate Mpasi Haingura be appointed.
A seemingly straightforward recruitment process has turned into a nightmare for the Swakopmund municipality after its management committee unilaterally opted to ignore the recommendations of an interview panel.
When the position of general manager for corporate services and human capital became vacant last year, the municipality commenced the recruitment process, having also set up an interview panel headed by the municipality’s CEO Archie Benjamin.
The panel recommended that the top candidate during the interviews, Mpasi Haingura, be appointed. But to the surprise of the interview panel, the committee instead appointed Nelson Simasiku, who came second during the interviews.
The Swakopmund town council subsequently approached the courts, seeking an order to set aside the committee’s appointment.
With the matter currently in court, Haingura wants the management committee’s “self-styled” decision to overlook him overturned.
Haingura, who currently serves as the chief regional officer of the Kavango East regional council, said the committee had no solid grounds to ignore the interview panel’s recommendation to appoint him.
No red flags
In court papers, he claimed the management committee does not have the power to re-evaluate recommendations made by the interview panel.
According to him, since the committee did not raise any red flags during the recruitment process, it is therefore obliged to accept the panel’s recommendation.
“If the first respondent [management committee] was dissatisfied with the interview panel recommending my appointment, it had to follow procedures,” he said.
Benjamin added: "The management committee was obliged to select and appoint Haingura unless the committee exercised its rights to request human resources to start the recruitment and selection process afresh”.
In a bid to remedy the situation, the committee in June wrote to both Simasiku and Haingura, informing them that their applications would be reviewed due to the incorrect decision.
The duo rejected any plans to restart the process.
Financial losses
On his part, Simasiku demanded that office space be made available for him to start working while the issues are resolved, while Haingura charged that there will be no justification to restart the process, hence he should be appointed.
Benjamin, in his court papers, said both candidates suffered financial losses because of the process.
When the position of general manager for corporate services and human capital became vacant last year, the municipality commenced the recruitment process, having also set up an interview panel headed by the municipality’s CEO Archie Benjamin.
The panel recommended that the top candidate during the interviews, Mpasi Haingura, be appointed. But to the surprise of the interview panel, the committee instead appointed Nelson Simasiku, who came second during the interviews.
The Swakopmund town council subsequently approached the courts, seeking an order to set aside the committee’s appointment.
With the matter currently in court, Haingura wants the management committee’s “self-styled” decision to overlook him overturned.
Haingura, who currently serves as the chief regional officer of the Kavango East regional council, said the committee had no solid grounds to ignore the interview panel’s recommendation to appoint him.
No red flags
In court papers, he claimed the management committee does not have the power to re-evaluate recommendations made by the interview panel.
According to him, since the committee did not raise any red flags during the recruitment process, it is therefore obliged to accept the panel’s recommendation.
“If the first respondent [management committee] was dissatisfied with the interview panel recommending my appointment, it had to follow procedures,” he said.
Benjamin added: "The management committee was obliged to select and appoint Haingura unless the committee exercised its rights to request human resources to start the recruitment and selection process afresh”.
In a bid to remedy the situation, the committee in June wrote to both Simasiku and Haingura, informing them that their applications would be reviewed due to the incorrect decision.
The duo rejected any plans to restart the process.
Financial losses
On his part, Simasiku demanded that office space be made available for him to start working while the issues are resolved, while Haingura charged that there will be no justification to restart the process, hence he should be appointed.
Benjamin, in his court papers, said both candidates suffered financial losses because of the process.
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