Kunene terminatesCRO contract
A hasty suspension without consulting the Public Service Commission has cost the Kunene regional council dearly.
The Kunene regional council has paid an undisclosed lump sum to terminate the contract of former chief regional officer (CRO) George Kamseb, who had refused to return to work after his suspension was ruled illegal by the Public Service Commission (PSC) in October 2016.
For about two years, the regional council has been paying Kamseb his full salary and benefits, plus the salary of his replacement.
Council chairperson Julius Kaujova said after they failed to resolve the issue, the council approached the urban and rural development ministry to advise them on the way forward.
Kaujova would not say whether the decision to pay Kamseb came from the ministry and would not say how much he was paid.
“The issue has been resolved and Kamseb is no more a member of the regional council. We have paid his contract off.”
The ministry did not respond to questions and efforts to obtain comment from Kamseb also failed.
On 19 October 2016, the council served Kamseb with a letter ordering him to stay away from the regional council building until further notice. The suspension was ruled illegal by the PSC two months later.
According to a well-placed source, the regional council accused Kamseb of failing to provide the council with his employment contract.
The council decided to suspend him without consulting the PSC.
In 2017 the PSC chairperson, Marcus Kampungu, told Namibian Sun that the council had made a mistake.
“We received the suspension request from Kunene in November 2016, a month after they had suspended him. However, we rejected the request to suspend him. For us to suspend there must be grounds that the official in question could interfere with investigations but in their request there were no grounds for this,” Kampungu said.
ILENI NANDJATO
For about two years, the regional council has been paying Kamseb his full salary and benefits, plus the salary of his replacement.
Council chairperson Julius Kaujova said after they failed to resolve the issue, the council approached the urban and rural development ministry to advise them on the way forward.
Kaujova would not say whether the decision to pay Kamseb came from the ministry and would not say how much he was paid.
“The issue has been resolved and Kamseb is no more a member of the regional council. We have paid his contract off.”
The ministry did not respond to questions and efforts to obtain comment from Kamseb also failed.
On 19 October 2016, the council served Kamseb with a letter ordering him to stay away from the regional council building until further notice. The suspension was ruled illegal by the PSC two months later.
According to a well-placed source, the regional council accused Kamseb of failing to provide the council with his employment contract.
The council decided to suspend him without consulting the PSC.
In 2017 the PSC chairperson, Marcus Kampungu, told Namibian Sun that the council had made a mistake.
“We received the suspension request from Kunene in November 2016, a month after they had suspended him. However, we rejected the request to suspend him. For us to suspend there must be grounds that the official in question could interfere with investigations but in their request there were no grounds for this,” Kampungu said.
ILENI NANDJATO
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