Kahimise drags City to court
JANA-MARI SMITH
WINDHOEK
An urgent application brought by Windhoek municipality CEO Robert Kahimise will be heard in the Windhoek High Court today.
He is accusing councillors and management committee members of holding illegal meetings and irregularly appointing an acting CEO.
Kahimise is asking the court to set aside all decisions and resolutions taken at a management committee and heated council meeting held last week, which, according to multiple sources, included the extension of the contract of City Police chief Abraham Kanime.
“Despite having given the council members a clear warning of their unlawful conduct and requesting them to desist from holding a council meeting in the circumstances, it would appear that they nonetheless proceeded to hold such a meeting,” Kahmise’s founding affidavit states.
Against regulations
The last-minute council meeting was called by City Police officer Paukeni Titus, who had been appointed as acting city CEO the day before in a move called “irregular” by Kahimise and others.
The meeting erupted into several hours of chaos.
Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) councillor Brunhilde Cornelius and Ignatius Semba of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) questioned the legality of the meeting and Titus’ appointment during the volatile meeting.
Before the meeting, Cornelius and Semba opened a police complaint, while underlining that the council meeting was not crucial and would violate the coronavirus lockdown regulations around public gatherings.
‘Irregular and illegal’
On the same day, Kahimise’s lawyers wrote to mayor Fransina Kahungu, highlighting that the appointment of an acting CEO without Kahimise being unable to perform his duties was irregular.
“It is respectfully submitted that the CEO is not absent, and neither is he unable to perform his functions and duties.”
Kahimise underlined that he was only made aware of the council meeting a day before, and took immediate steps to obtain legal advice.
He notified council members that the meeting would be illegal, but was ignored, he said.
Line of fire
Kahimise further argued that as the accounting officer of the municipality, he is now liable to be held criminally accountable for the actions of the councillors, and has been exposed to disciplinary sanctions for negligent conduct.
High Court judge Kobus Miller is presiding.
WINDHOEK
An urgent application brought by Windhoek municipality CEO Robert Kahimise will be heard in the Windhoek High Court today.
He is accusing councillors and management committee members of holding illegal meetings and irregularly appointing an acting CEO.
Kahimise is asking the court to set aside all decisions and resolutions taken at a management committee and heated council meeting held last week, which, according to multiple sources, included the extension of the contract of City Police chief Abraham Kanime.
“Despite having given the council members a clear warning of their unlawful conduct and requesting them to desist from holding a council meeting in the circumstances, it would appear that they nonetheless proceeded to hold such a meeting,” Kahmise’s founding affidavit states.
Against regulations
The last-minute council meeting was called by City Police officer Paukeni Titus, who had been appointed as acting city CEO the day before in a move called “irregular” by Kahimise and others.
The meeting erupted into several hours of chaos.
Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) councillor Brunhilde Cornelius and Ignatius Semba of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) questioned the legality of the meeting and Titus’ appointment during the volatile meeting.
Before the meeting, Cornelius and Semba opened a police complaint, while underlining that the council meeting was not crucial and would violate the coronavirus lockdown regulations around public gatherings.
‘Irregular and illegal’
On the same day, Kahimise’s lawyers wrote to mayor Fransina Kahungu, highlighting that the appointment of an acting CEO without Kahimise being unable to perform his duties was irregular.
“It is respectfully submitted that the CEO is not absent, and neither is he unable to perform his functions and duties.”
Kahimise underlined that he was only made aware of the council meeting a day before, and took immediate steps to obtain legal advice.
He notified council members that the meeting would be illegal, but was ignored, he said.
Line of fire
Kahimise further argued that as the accounting officer of the municipality, he is now liable to be held criminally accountable for the actions of the councillors, and has been exposed to disciplinary sanctions for negligent conduct.
High Court judge Kobus Miller is presiding.
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