Africa-Press – Namibia. GROOTFONTEIN mayor Talitha Garises says Grootfontein chief executive officer (CEO) Kisco Sinvula has been suspended despite Sinvula saying he is still in the office.
According to the mayor, Sinvula was suspended at a special council meeting held on Thursday last week.
The suspension has divided the council, with some councillors saying the suspension is illegal and should have been done by the minister of urban and rural development minister Erastus Uutoni, as per the Local Authority Act.
Garises said Sinvula was suspended, among others, over issues relating to the procedure used to appoint Kangueehi & Kavendjii Incorporated law firm to represent the council.
“Yes, I can confirm that the council at its special council meeting held on 24 March 2022 resolved to suspend Mr Kisco Sinvula to pave the way for investigation into allegations against him,” she said in a text to The Namibian yesterday.
According to her, Sinvula was suspended in terms of Personnel Rule 35 of Local Authority Act 23 of 1992, as amended.
Sinvula said the council needed an approval from Uutoni to suspend him.
However, Garises said the council resolved to use standing rule 44 of the Local Authority Act 23 of 1992, as amended, to suspend sub-rule 1 of 35, which would have required the council to first get ministerial approval.
The mayor denied receiving instructions from deputy minister of urban and rural development Natalia /Goagoses, as she reportedly told the council meeting on Thursday.
She said she does not get instructions from the minister or his deputy, as all instructions from the ministry come through the CEO’s office in writing and she has not received such instructions.
Garises said she called Thursday’s meeting to inform the council that she had requested the CEO to call for a council meeting since the council was in breach of Section 14 of the Local Authority Act, which requires the council to hold its first council meeting within 10 days after councillors were sworn-in.
“The CEO refused to call such a meeting, instead telling us that he wanted to take us to Halali Lodge for a party celebration,” she said.
On Saturday, Sinvula issued a media statement saying he is still the substantive CEO of the Grootfontein municipality.
He added that he received an “illegal suspension letter” served by the mayor and any investigation against him will yield “nothing”.
For More News And Analysis About Namibia Follow Africa-Press
