Africa-Press – Namibia. POLITICIANS and some bosses at the Windhoek municipality have started squabbling over the ongoing process to recruit a new chief executive officer, with some employing tactics to deliberately delay the process.
According to sources, the municipality is heavily divided on the candidates recommended for the position, and some councillors have accused acting chief executive officer (CEO) George Mayumbelo, among other people, of trying to influence the outcome of the process.
Mayumbelo yesterday asked to be removed from the acting position, citing political sabotage from certain councillors. He revealed his intention to be removed from the acting position in a letter to the Windhoek municipal council’s acting management committee chairperson, Ndeshihafela Larandja.
The municipality last week concluded the three-stage recruitment process, which included the first-ever public presentations by shortlisted candidates. Sources say Roads Authority boss Conrad Lutombi and Otjiwarongo CEO Moses Matyayi have emerged as favourites for the position.
After the public presentations last week, the municipality’s management committee was supposed to meet to deliberate on the outcome of the recruitment process, and further recommend a candidate for appointment.
However, the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), which dominates the management committee, decided to temporarily ban its councillors from participating in any council-related activities, thereby rendering the committee inactive and unable to take decisions on the ongoing process, on account of no quorum.
An urgent meeting was, however, called by coalition partners yesterday to discuss the IPC’s decision to restrain its councillors. ‘UNPROFESSIONAL COUNCILLORS’
In the letter, Mayumbelo claimed councillors have been plotting to remove him from the acting position since they were sworn in late last year. Mayumbelo has been acting as CEO for more than six months, an arrangement some councillors have taken issue with.
He said the law, however, does not prevent him from acting for more than six months. He accused management committee councillors of acting unprofessionally.
“It is, however, a concern that rather than removing me in a professional and transparent manner, you have seemingly resorted to unprofessional efforts to remove me through exertions motivated by misinformation and driven by an alternate agenda,” the letter reads.
Mayumbelo said there have been various efforts to bring his name into disrepute through “unprofessional and clandestine efforts”. He denied having any influence on the outcome of the CEO recruitment process.
He said the panel and all other processes that were considered in the recruitment process were approved by the council. “There is no way any one individual could sway the outcome of the interviews. On the other hand, anyone who has genuine concerns should raise them through the relevant platforms,” he said.
According to Mayumbelo, he decided to step down as acting CEO now because he didn’t want his tussles with the councillors to distract him “from running a fair and transparent process”.
He said those claiming he has influence over the recruitment process intend to taint the process. “In that process we fail to do what we need to do … Whoever has their objection, we record that. There is no hiding,” he said.
Larandja, however, denied Mayumbelo’s claims that they have been plotting to remove him since December 2020. She said she has not received any letter from Mayumbelo, nor does she know of any attempts of the MC to remove him.
She said all matters discussed during MC meetings are confidential. “I cannot discuss that with you. I would rather discuss it with him,” Larandja said.
