Eight job applications missing in Windhoek High principal row

An ongoing legal battle over the appointment of a new principal to lead Windhoek High School has taken a fresh turn, with the education ministry admitting that several job applications linked to the recruitment process are missing.

The matter is before High Court judge Beatrix de Jager, where the school board is seeking to review and set aside the appointment of Teofilus Nuugulu.

In a sworn affidavit forming part of the March court filings, executive director in the education ministry Mbumba Haitengela admitted that out of 22 job applications received for the principal post, eight could not be located.

“The remaining eight applications are lost and/or destroyed, as they could not be found despite a thorough and long search of our archives," he stated.

Haitengela explained that the recruitment process was finalised in 2024 and that the ministry does not retain applications indefinitely.

He said documents are periodically destroyed once recruitment processes are concluded to make space for new records.

The affidavit forms part of the ministry’s response to a request by the school board for additional documents under court rules governing review proceedings.

Haitengela said the ministry has submitted a full set of recruitment records to the board. These include the vacancy advertisement, shortlisting criteria, interview panel minutes, oral interview questions and correspondence between officials, including emails exchanged during the process.

The ministry also provided the Public Service Commission circular on pass marks for oral interviews, as well as letters and recommendations related to the appointment and an invitation for stakeholders to observe the interviews.

He also confirmed that further documents, including correspondence between education officials dated July to August 2024 and an email dated October 2024 with attachments, were retrieved and added to the record.

Standards dispute

The school board approached the High Court last year to challenge Nuugulu’s appointment, arguing that the recruitment process was flawed and that the successful candidate does not meet the standards required to lead the school.

Nuugulu, who scored 61.2% in the interviews, was ranked first among seven shortlisted candidates. However, the board says the score falls short of what is expected for a school of Windhoek High’s standing.

 The board has also raised concerns about its limited role in the recruitment process, saying it was only invited to observe interviews rather than participate in key stages such as shortlisting and assessment design.

As part of the review application, the board requested a complete record of documents used to make the appointment decision.

The missing applications are reportedly central to the dispute, as they form part of the official recruitment record that the court relies on in a judicial review. They are also relevant in assessing whether other suitably qualified candidates were considered for the position.

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