Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has recommended that four ||Kharas Regional Council councillors be charged over alleged favouritism in the appointment of a senior administrative officer.
The commission has asked the Office of the Prosecutor General to charge the councillors over allegedly removing a top candidate from a recruitment shortlist and replacing her with a less-qualified candidate.
The matter started in 2024 when top candidate Emelie Haimbondi scored the highest during interviews for the grade 10 senior administrative officer position at the ||Kharas Regional Council, but was not appointed.
Other candidates were Vistorina Sheetekela in second place, and Juliana Jahs and Hermina Thomas ranking third and fourth, respectively.
According to an ACC letter seen by The Namibian, the councillors are Anseline Beukes, Willem Labuschagne, Jeremia Goeieman, and Joseph Isaacks. All of them are members of the Landless People’s Movement (LPM).
They are accused of manipulating the recruitment process in favour of Thomas.
The councillors denied wrongdoing this week.
In the letter dated 6 June 2024, directed to prosecutor general Martha Imalwa, ACC director general Paulus Noa described the councillors’ conduct as “a naked act of favouritism” that contravenes the Anti-Corruption Act.
The position was advertised in September 2022 under Public Service Commission Circular No. 1 of 2022, with applications closing in October 2022.
Out of the 75 people who applied, 10 met the minimum requirements and were shortlisted.
The interview panel, which included officials from the council’s human resources division, unanimously recommended Haimbondi.
The recommendation was endorsed by Marine Uushinga, the deputy director of human resources, who forwarded the submission to the then acting chief regional officer, Benedictus Diergaardt, the ACC investigation shows.
However, when the recommendation was presented to a special council meeting on 30 January 2024, the councillors allegedly ignored it and instead resolved to appoint Thomas, who ranked fourth.
The council justified its decision by claiming it wanted to “promote a staff member within the institution”.
Willem Labuschagne
According to the ACC’s investigation, the testimonies were obtained from several witnesses, including panel members Willemina Rooi, Senovia Leukes, Barnatus Waterboer, Elvis Maketo and Lenorita Losper, confirming they recommended Haimbondi as the top candidate, or Sheetekela if Haimbondi declined.
The council meeting was allegedly recorded on a cellphone, capturing the moment when councillors decided to vary the panel’s recommendation.
The deputy director of human resources, Uushinga, during the ACC’s investigations confirmed that she was on leave when the decision was made and only learned later that the council had overturned the recruitment outcome.
Thomas accepted the position, effective from 1 February 2024.
“This is brazen corruption in the form of nepotism,” Noa told The Namibian this week.
The docket was submitted to the Office of the Prosecutor General in June 2024.
“Cases of this nature in my view should not take long before action is taken.
The official of the Office of the Ombudsman says in his complaint letter that this is not the first case where councillors are discriminating against successful candidates who are not from the region.
There is a need for deterrent action,” Noa said.
Imalwa yesterday said the case is a resubmission.
“It was initially sent back for further investigation. It is received back. It has been resubmitted and it is now with our corruption unit.
The prosecutor in our unit is now working on it,” she said.
Imalwa said a similar case from the ||Kharas region is before the High Court.
The councillors implicated in the investigation say they are awaiting the next step after being questioned by the ACC.
Council chairperson Joseph Isaacks yesterday confirmed being summoned by the ACC.
He, however, said corruption involves self-gratification.
“The person was acting in that position. The position was then advertised and other people were recommended. The council decided to go for the person who was already working there,” he said.
“After the appointment, the council and human resources officials were summoned by the ACC, and I was the last one.
I told them it’s not corruption because we didn’t have an interest in that appointment.”
Isaacks said corruption, according to the ACC’s definition, involves self-interest.
“I told them maybe the Office of the Ombudsman should come in and not the ACC. It’s a political witch-hunt. But if they want to do that, let them go ahead.”
Anseline Beukes
Beukes yesterday said she was aware of the investigation.
“They interviewed us, but we are still waiting for them. The ACC said they would get back to us, but till today nothing.
I can’t comment on the allegations because they are not presented to me,” she said.
Labuschagne yesterday said it “was not ringing a bell, so I can’t answer right now”.
Goeieman couldn’t be reached for comment.
The ACC has found that the justification given by the councillors – “to promote a staff member within the institution” – was not valid and amounted to favouritism.
“The reason provided for varying the panel recommendation is not a valid justification under merit-based recruitment rules,” the investigation report notes.
Noa yesterday said the councillors’ actions undermined the constitutional principle that all Namibians are entitled to equal opportunities to serve anywhere in the country.
“The Republic of Namibia is a unitary state founded upon the principles of democracy, the rule of law and justice for all,” he said.
Noa said recruitment in the public service must be based on merit rather than regional or local preference.
The ACC has said the ||Kharas case represents a direct example of how discriminatory practices can cross into corruption.
The docket containing all the relevant statements, recordings and documentary evidence has now been referred to the Office of the Prosecutor General for a decision on whether to prosecute the councillors.
The Namibian last week reported on a similar dispute in the Hardap region, where the regional council issued a directive ordering government offices to prioritise the appointment of local residents for jobs.
Hardap Regional Council chairperson Gershon Dausab, however, defended the directive, arguing that persistent unemployment among locals justified prioritising them.
“The ongoing disregard for this resolution has contributed to persistent unemployment and deepening poverty among our local population, while job opportunities are extended to non-residents,” he said.
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