Africa-Press – Namibia. Havana community leader Joseph Fernandu has demanded that Samora Machel Constituency councillor Nestor Kalola step down for failing to deliver services and being absent from office for a month.
Fernandu claims Kalola, who is supposed to be attending to community members’ grievances and matters, has been absent in office for some time now and also acted carelessly in handling his office keys by forgetting them in a car at Swakopmund after attending a training workshop.
Fernandu was speaking to The Namibian last Friday.
“We are tired of this councillor’s poor performance in service delivery. We recently went to his office to see him and the chief admin told us that they do not know where he is and it later became apparent that he left the keys of his office in his car which broke down while on his way to Windhoek.
“Last week Wednesday and Thursday when we were there he was not in office again and this is unacceptable. We do not want a councillor who has an office but is also absconding. How will he address community issues?” Fernandu stated.
He also alleged that Kalola has fallen out with the chief admin due to his lack of leadership and that the environment has become unconducive to staff members.
Fernandu is now calling on line minister James Sankwasa to step in and investigate the matter, adding that the community is not happy with the manner Kalola is doing his job.
In response to the claims, Kalola admits to forgetting his office keys in his car which broke down between Karibib and Okahandja, while on his way back to Windhoek from a workshop at Swakopmund a week ago, which was only towed around 22h00 to Karibib as it was the closest town.
Kalola then hiked back to report to work the next day and that was when he realised he had left the keys of the office in the car.
“Although I forgot the keys to my office in the car. I was using the council boardroom to assist the community and if I am not around, the council staff is there to also assist, not only the councillor. People must understand that,” he says.
He says he collected his car at Karibib last Thursday and drove back at midnight. He says he has been at the office since then and anyone claiming he has not is lying.
Kalola further clarifies that the reason he is not in the office sometimes is because he goes out trying to source sponsors and funds to help address some of the issues in the constituency.
“I cannot be in the office all the time, because I need to be out there trying to get help so I can help or find initiatives to address issues the community is facing. I know exactly who is pushing for my downfall but I will always serve the community above anything,” he says.
Kalola also says the working conditions at the council office are good and not what is being purported.
He, however, indicates that he has approached the labour commission about a staff member who he says has been behaving inappropriately but whose name he cannot reveal to the public as the matter is before the labour court, to be heard on 15 August.
He assures the community that he is doing his best to attend to all issues. At the same time, he is meeting with the City of Windhoek about the street high-mast lights in informal settlements, which have been out of order for some time, and other issues.
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