Suspended Sinvula to lose salary
• More trouble for Grootfontein CEO
When it rains, it pours – this seems to be the case for embattled Kisco Sinvula, amid a push to strip him of his salary while on suspension.
Kenya KamboweRundu
The Grootfontein town council plans to stop paying suspended CEO Kisco Sinvula’s salary while he is out of office.
Mayor Talitha Garises informed Sinvula of the developments, adding that council will hold a special meeting next week where the plans will be discussed.
This is contained in a letter dated 15 September in which the mayor said the special council meeting next Tuesday will deliberate on amending Sinvula’s suspension conditions.
Sinvula, who is currently on suspension after he was charged with 30 counts of misconduct, has until Monday to give reasons why the suspension conditions should not be amended, as his response will be looked at during Tuesday’s special council sitting.
According to Garises, Sinvula’s actions have led to unnecessary court battles which have seen the council having to defend itself in various courts - a costly exercise that has drained the municipality’s coffers.
Council cannot continue paying him a salary while he continues legal action, she said, adding that his allegedly illegal actions are costing the council unnecessary money.
Illegal contracts
Garises said some contracts Sinvula entered into on behalf of the council, which she termed as illegal, have led to the current legal battle.
“On 25 March 2022, while having already being notified of your suspension but prior to the change of signatories, you authorised a payment to a contractor, one Otjomuise Construction CC, in the amount N$457 137 57.
“Not only were you on suspension at the time, but [that] particular contract and payment was not budgeted for and forms part of the contracts awarded under your tenure which have led to disciplinary charges being laid against you.
“You have to date - despite numerous requests - refused to return the council laptop and council stamp for the office of the CEO and have proceeded during your suspension to use the stamp to write letters purportedly on behalf of the office of the CEO, one being a letter authored on 20 April addressed to Kangueehi and Kavendji Incorporated,” the letter read.
“The charges you are facing are very serious, including but not limited to charges emanating from an unlawful contract with one Frontier Multi Industries CC from which council is now embattled in a lawsuit, from which the said contractor is claiming payment of about N$400 000 per month for cleaning the town.”
Serious charges
Garises went on to write: “Council considers the charges against you as serious to the extent that the chairperson of the management committee has reported the allegations to the Anti-Corruption Commission [ACC].
“You recently on 19 July 2022 failed to show up at a scheduled disciplinary hearing and attempted - without success - to interdict the process in the High Court, which led to the council incurring exorbitant legal costs for the actual hearing and your failed attempts in the High Court.”
[email protected]
The Grootfontein town council plans to stop paying suspended CEO Kisco Sinvula’s salary while he is out of office.
Mayor Talitha Garises informed Sinvula of the developments, adding that council will hold a special meeting next week where the plans will be discussed.
This is contained in a letter dated 15 September in which the mayor said the special council meeting next Tuesday will deliberate on amending Sinvula’s suspension conditions.
Sinvula, who is currently on suspension after he was charged with 30 counts of misconduct, has until Monday to give reasons why the suspension conditions should not be amended, as his response will be looked at during Tuesday’s special council sitting.
According to Garises, Sinvula’s actions have led to unnecessary court battles which have seen the council having to defend itself in various courts - a costly exercise that has drained the municipality’s coffers.
Council cannot continue paying him a salary while he continues legal action, she said, adding that his allegedly illegal actions are costing the council unnecessary money.
Illegal contracts
Garises said some contracts Sinvula entered into on behalf of the council, which she termed as illegal, have led to the current legal battle.
“On 25 March 2022, while having already being notified of your suspension but prior to the change of signatories, you authorised a payment to a contractor, one Otjomuise Construction CC, in the amount N$457 137 57.
“Not only were you on suspension at the time, but [that] particular contract and payment was not budgeted for and forms part of the contracts awarded under your tenure which have led to disciplinary charges being laid against you.
“You have to date - despite numerous requests - refused to return the council laptop and council stamp for the office of the CEO and have proceeded during your suspension to use the stamp to write letters purportedly on behalf of the office of the CEO, one being a letter authored on 20 April addressed to Kangueehi and Kavendji Incorporated,” the letter read.
“The charges you are facing are very serious, including but not limited to charges emanating from an unlawful contract with one Frontier Multi Industries CC from which council is now embattled in a lawsuit, from which the said contractor is claiming payment of about N$400 000 per month for cleaning the town.”
Serious charges
Garises went on to write: “Council considers the charges against you as serious to the extent that the chairperson of the management committee has reported the allegations to the Anti-Corruption Commission [ACC].
“You recently on 19 July 2022 failed to show up at a scheduled disciplinary hearing and attempted - without success - to interdict the process in the High Court, which led to the council incurring exorbitant legal costs for the actual hearing and your failed attempts in the High Court.”
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