OTJIWARONGO - The Otjiwarongo local authority council on Thursday cancelled the interviewing process aimed at recruiting its substantive chief executive officer (CEO).

The position has been vacant since the departure of Moses Matyayi, who joined the City of Windhoek in the same role at the end of July this year.

Otjiwarongo mayor Gottlieb Shivute said in an interview with Nampa on Friday that the decision to cancel the interview process was influenced and taken due to a “material omission”, a situation which was detected by the panel members.

“The decision to cancel that process was taken at a special council meeting on Thursday due to some irregularities detected. It was thus decided that a shortlisting committee be appointed to re-evaluate the 47 applications which were submitted for the position by candidates in July this year, where the shortlisting should be made,” he added.

Two applicants from the 47 will not be considered because one withdrew by writing to the council, and another by absconding from the psychometric assessment process, Shivute said.

The re-evaluation part of this recruitment process should be completed by the first week of January 2024, and the interviews should be conducted thereafter.

The Otjiwarongo Municipality’s strategic executive for community development services, Erickson Mwanyekange, is in the meantime the acting CEO. - Nampa