City legal head, Mayumbelo at loggerheads
City of Windhoek head of legal services Ben Ngairorue is accusing acting CEO George Mayumbelo of driving him into depression and trying to oust him from his job.
ESTER KAMATI
WINDHOEK
Two executives at the City of Windhoek are at each other’s throats, with the municipality’s head of legal services, Ben Ngairorue, accusing acting chief executive officer George Mayumbelo of driving him into depression and attempting to oust him from his job.
In a grievance letter dated January 2021 seen by Namibian Sun, Ngairorue is seeking the council’s intervention to investigate the acting CEO for abuse of power and to investigate a relationship between him and a female employee also in the legal department, while also seeking a working solution pending the conclusion of ongoing investigations against him.
In the letter, Ngairorue said he has been subjected to “systematic victimisation” by Mayumbelo.
Ngairorue, who said the working environment has become unbearable for him, wrote: “I was already booked off for depression and potentially fear that this situation may affect my general wellbeing, and my health condition if this matter is not attended as a matter of urgency.”
He added that he needs the management committee to intervene as he does not foresee it being solved by his immediate supervisor.
“I have been reliably informed by a source by the end of December 2020 that Mr Mayumbelo is hard at work to have me suspended and ultimately removed from office as corporate legal advisor,” he said.
An internal memorandum has been written, allegedly by Mayumbelo, that an audit be conducted of a labour matter in which Ngairorue as legal advisor had turned down a claim of N$290 000 by Martha Endjala, as it would according to him lead to the council facing more such claims.
An internal audit concluded that the matter be settled by the legal department, which the acting CEO evidently was disgruntled about.
The matter was then concluded with the then CEO, Robert Kahimise, but Mayumbelo reopened the investigation.
“I find this conduct as aimed at victimising me and making my work unbearable,” the letter reads.
Mayumbelo later also allegedly filed a claim to be paid retroactively on a resolution similar to that which involved Hendjala.
Another staff member put in a similar claim soon after.
“It became clear why the precedent of Ms Hendjala was important,” stated Ngairorue.
Ngairorue had also been accused of blocking a land deal involving a company in which the acting CEO’s wife allegedly has financial interest. Ngairorue denied the allegation.
“Charges were also proffered against myself and a number of colleagues emanating from the audit that was conducted against the erstwhile chief executive officer and I took the matter on review to the High Court,” he said.
Ngairorue claims investigations against him are attempts to victimise him and make his working environment unbearable.
Mayumbelo wants Ngairorue suspended over his alleged involvement in the controversial fibre-optic network deal.
However, his plan to suspend Ngairorue hit a brick wall last month when management committee chairperson Ndeshihafela Larandja instructed him to stop the process until the management committee pronounces itself on the matter.
Larandja fears such a move could expose the municipality to legal troubles.
Mayumbelo explained that nobody has the ability to fabricate charges with the aim to victimise another. “Mr Ngairorue has been charged multiple times by both the previous chief executive officers and other acting chief executives before I also had charge him for serious misconduct. These multiple, but several charges are not finalised yet because of the approaches adopted by him,” he added.
“I therefore have no personal agenda against Mr Ngairorue,” said Mayumbelo, as he denied any attempts to victimise Ngairorue.
[email protected]
WINDHOEK
Two executives at the City of Windhoek are at each other’s throats, with the municipality’s head of legal services, Ben Ngairorue, accusing acting chief executive officer George Mayumbelo of driving him into depression and attempting to oust him from his job.
In a grievance letter dated January 2021 seen by Namibian Sun, Ngairorue is seeking the council’s intervention to investigate the acting CEO for abuse of power and to investigate a relationship between him and a female employee also in the legal department, while also seeking a working solution pending the conclusion of ongoing investigations against him.
In the letter, Ngairorue said he has been subjected to “systematic victimisation” by Mayumbelo.
Ngairorue, who said the working environment has become unbearable for him, wrote: “I was already booked off for depression and potentially fear that this situation may affect my general wellbeing, and my health condition if this matter is not attended as a matter of urgency.”
He added that he needs the management committee to intervene as he does not foresee it being solved by his immediate supervisor.
“I have been reliably informed by a source by the end of December 2020 that Mr Mayumbelo is hard at work to have me suspended and ultimately removed from office as corporate legal advisor,” he said.
An internal memorandum has been written, allegedly by Mayumbelo, that an audit be conducted of a labour matter in which Ngairorue as legal advisor had turned down a claim of N$290 000 by Martha Endjala, as it would according to him lead to the council facing more such claims.
An internal audit concluded that the matter be settled by the legal department, which the acting CEO evidently was disgruntled about.
The matter was then concluded with the then CEO, Robert Kahimise, but Mayumbelo reopened the investigation.
“I find this conduct as aimed at victimising me and making my work unbearable,” the letter reads.
Mayumbelo later also allegedly filed a claim to be paid retroactively on a resolution similar to that which involved Hendjala.
Another staff member put in a similar claim soon after.
“It became clear why the precedent of Ms Hendjala was important,” stated Ngairorue.
Ngairorue had also been accused of blocking a land deal involving a company in which the acting CEO’s wife allegedly has financial interest. Ngairorue denied the allegation.
“Charges were also proffered against myself and a number of colleagues emanating from the audit that was conducted against the erstwhile chief executive officer and I took the matter on review to the High Court,” he said.
Ngairorue claims investigations against him are attempts to victimise him and make his working environment unbearable.
Mayumbelo wants Ngairorue suspended over his alleged involvement in the controversial fibre-optic network deal.
However, his plan to suspend Ngairorue hit a brick wall last month when management committee chairperson Ndeshihafela Larandja instructed him to stop the process until the management committee pronounces itself on the matter.
Larandja fears such a move could expose the municipality to legal troubles.
Mayumbelo explained that nobody has the ability to fabricate charges with the aim to victimise another. “Mr Ngairorue has been charged multiple times by both the previous chief executive officers and other acting chief executives before I also had charge him for serious misconduct. These multiple, but several charges are not finalised yet because of the approaches adopted by him,” he added.
“I therefore have no personal agenda against Mr Ngairorue,” said Mayumbelo, as he denied any attempts to victimise Ngairorue.
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