Kahimise stays home

City of Windhoek CEO Robert Kahimise declined to report back for duty on Friday following his last-minute reinstatement and lifting of an alleged unlawful suspension on Thursday last week.

Lawyer Patrick Kauta informed the municipality on Friday that his client would not “report for duty today” until a number of items are provided.

Kauta had previously demanded that his client be provided with minutes from several meetings where discussions around Kahimise's alleged illegal study loan and his proposed suspension were discussed.

In Friday's letter, Kauta demanded that his client be provided with the minutes from the 22, 24 and 25 October council meetings, in addition to the minutes of management committee meeting's which took place on 24 and 25 October, in order for the lawyers to determine the way forward for their client.

Kauta further challenged deputy mayor Teckla Uwanga, the main addressee of the letter, to clarify on what grounds the suspension had been lifted.

“What, in law, empowers you to withdraw the suspension of our client on 25 October 2018 at 15:26 when the Council meeting authorising this withdrawal took place only thereafter,” Kauta wrote, referring to the monthly council meeting that took place on Thursday evening, where the withdrawal was officially approved.

Moreover Kauta said the letter reinstating Kahimise did not clarify on whose behalf it was written, by the “management committee or council”.

Uwanga, to whom the letter was addressed, declined to comment.

Kahimise also declined to comment, referring Namibian Sun to his lawyers and efforts to obtain official comment elsewhere at the municipality failed, with many insiders complaining that they are kept just as much in the dark as the public.





City councillor Josef Kauandenge (Nudo) yesterday said the continued debacle and the lack of official commentary from the City of Windhoek were concerning.

“The fact is that the municipality is a public institution that must strive to provide adequate information to the public. However, in this instance they are failing to fulfil that mandate. It is uncalled for that the media have to [rely on] gossip and sources to get factual information.”

Kauandenge further noted the City was facing a crisis because of the lack of leadership.

“Since last week there is no substantive CEO and neither an acting CEO, for that matter. No one is in control of the City administratively as we speak, which is recipe for disaster indeed,” he said.

Namibian Sun was also unable to confirm numerous claims that although Kahimise's suspension was lifted, efforts were under way to restart proceedings to have him suspended.

In line with this, unconfirmed reports indicated that an emergency management committee meeting had been called yesterday.

Last week, Kahimise, through his lawyers, accused members of the council and management committee of deliberately misleading urban and rural minister Peya Mushelenga, who had provided written support for Kahimise's suspension.

The legal team behind Kahimise argued that Mushelenga's decision to approve the suspension, based on a letter he had received from the management committee, was “irrational, unreasonable and unlawful”, and was the result of being deceived in the letter, allegedly penned by the deputy mayor.

“You deliberately misled the minister in your letter of 18 October 2018, in order to obtain approval… when you informed the minister that the management committee recommended suspension to the council, when you knew this was factually incorrect.”

JANA-MARI SMITH