City appoints assistants for 'busy' councillors
The City of Windhoek has approved the appointment of assistants for 15 councillors who complained about not having sufficient time to attend to City affairs.
This decision follows a motion submitted by Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement member Job Amupanda, who proposed assigning research assistants to councillors to assist them in the execution of their duties.
The motion was submitted for consideration to the management committee.
City spokesperson Harold Akwenye confirmed that provision had been made for the appointment of assistants.
“Council, at its meeting of 27 July 2023, approved the assignment of intern research assistants to all councillors,” Akwenye said.
Budgeted expense
According to Akwenye, the initiative’s primary objective is to afford students or young graduates experience and practical exposure as a means to foster their capacity development and skills, which would allow them to compete in the broader employment market.
“The City of Windhoek has a comprehensive live database of students and young graduates from which suitable candidates are considered in accordance with the specific opportunities within council's operations,” he said.
Moreover, “councillors were equally afforded the opportunity to source suitable students' or young graduates' CVs in accordance with their intended research or project focal areas for consideration in the selection process,” Akwenye explained.
He indicated that sufficient provision was made to pay for the remuneration of the assistants.
“A stipend is therefore afforded to the intern research assistant from council's internship budget, which forms part of the approved operational budget,” Akwenye confirmed.
In progress
A City councillor who spoke to Namibian Sun indicated that only Amupanda and fellow AR councillor Ilse Keister had been assigned assistants thus far.
“Job insisted we are too busy. We agreed to it. However, what we learned is that he and Keister already have people attached to them. We are still studying the merits and demerits,” the councillor indicated.
This decision follows a motion submitted by Affirmative Repositioning (AR) movement member Job Amupanda, who proposed assigning research assistants to councillors to assist them in the execution of their duties.
The motion was submitted for consideration to the management committee.
City spokesperson Harold Akwenye confirmed that provision had been made for the appointment of assistants.
“Council, at its meeting of 27 July 2023, approved the assignment of intern research assistants to all councillors,” Akwenye said.
Budgeted expense
According to Akwenye, the initiative’s primary objective is to afford students or young graduates experience and practical exposure as a means to foster their capacity development and skills, which would allow them to compete in the broader employment market.
“The City of Windhoek has a comprehensive live database of students and young graduates from which suitable candidates are considered in accordance with the specific opportunities within council's operations,” he said.
Moreover, “councillors were equally afforded the opportunity to source suitable students' or young graduates' CVs in accordance with their intended research or project focal areas for consideration in the selection process,” Akwenye explained.
He indicated that sufficient provision was made to pay for the remuneration of the assistants.
“A stipend is therefore afforded to the intern research assistant from council's internship budget, which forms part of the approved operational budget,” Akwenye confirmed.
In progress
A City councillor who spoke to Namibian Sun indicated that only Amupanda and fellow AR councillor Ilse Keister had been assigned assistants thus far.
“Job insisted we are too busy. We agreed to it. However, what we learned is that he and Keister already have people attached to them. We are still studying the merits and demerits,” the councillor indicated.
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