Namibia Sports Commission chief administrator Simataa ‘Freddy’ Mwiya’s case will not jump the queue after he relinquished his right to have it heard on an urgent basis.
This follows after High Court Judge Kobus Miller yesterday made the 27 May agreement between Mwiya and the ministry of sports an order of the court.
Mwiya’s case will now take the normal route through the High Court’s processes to be heard. The case has since been postponed to 6 August for case management.
As per the agreement, Mwiya agreed to abandon his quest to have the case heard on an urgent basis and in the same vein, he abandoned to seek a court interdict that will restrict sports minister Agnes Tjongarero from advertising his position and appointing someone other than him who is recommended by the commission’s board.
The parties also agreed that Mwiya will remain in his position as chief administrator with a salary graded at the first-tier schedule of state-owned enterprises until the court dispute is settled.
Mwiya’s salary has been a bone of contention after it was increased in April 2018 to N$1 229 503 per annum, despite remuneration guidelines and the classification of SOEs stating that the total package of the chief administrator cannot exceed N$900 000 per year.
In his suit against Tjongarero and the Namibia Sports Commission, Mwiya wants the court to review and set aside Tjongarero’s decision not to accept the NSC’s board recommendation of extending his term for another five years but rather have the position advertised.
He wants the court to direct Tjongarero to implement the board’s decision to give him another term after his term came to an end in March.
The board, which consisted of Joel Matheus as chairperson, Linda Chicalu, Erica Beukes, Thomas Mbeeli, Karen Mubonenwa and Dr Marius Johannes has since been fired after they defied Tjongarero’s orders to advertise Mwiya’s position. Furthermore, they failed to reverse his salary increase.
Both Tjongarero and NSC have since noted their intention to oppose Mwiya’s application.
-mamakali@nepc.com.na