Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Grootfontein municipality’s chief executive officer (CEO), Kisco Sinvula, is back in office after being suspended by some of the town’s councillors.
His suspension was reversed after the minister of urban and rural development, Erastus Uutoni, met with the council on Thursday last week at which consensus was reached.
Sinvula’s suspension came after town mayor Talitha Garises, Elizabeth Kastoor of the Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), and Lodewikus Jacobs, representing the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), pushed through the move.
Sinvula yesterday confirmed he was back at work.
“I am back at the office even though I have already been there, only those councillors were prohibiting me from entering my office,” he said.
Garises recently challenged Uutoni to take the matter to court if he believes Sinvula was not procedurally suspended.
She told the minister in a leaked letter that the council’s decision to suspend Sinvula would remain valid and in place.
“We are restoring the glory of our town,” Garises wrote.
She yesterday said: “The minister did not inform the council about allowing the CEO to come back to work. He only said this to the newspapers, not to us.”
The mayor said Sinvula’s return to work is illegal because his suspension is still pending.
“Only three councillors are against his suspension. He must wait until we send him a reinstatement letter. Why can’t he wait? We did not chase him,” Garises said.
She said she disagrees with the minister allowing the CEO to go back to work.
Uutoni last week said he informed the Grootfontein municipality to follow procedures.
“I think they understood me,” the minister said.
“I said if something is wrong, let’s follow the law. We should not do things the way we think. If you want to suspend the CEO, do it procedurally,” he said.
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