The City of Windhoek leadership is hoping a council meeting scheduled for tomorrow will address a number of issues facing the municipality, including the recent setback in which the labour commissioner instructed the deputy sheriff to attach and auction the City’s vehicles to pay the salaries owed to employees.

The municipality has since 2019 failed to pay salaries and benefits worth more than N$7 million owed to about 15 City Police employees as directed by the court. 

Labour Commissioner Henry Kassen last week authorised the sale of about nine vehicles belonging to the City. Speaking to New Era yesterday, Windhoek mayor Job Amupanda confirmed that a council meeting has now been tasked to resolve the issue amicably following a Monday meeting in which members of the City’s management committee deliberated on the issue. 

Amupanda also added there are a number of other personnel issues within the City Police that were also brought to the attention of the management committee during Monday’s meeting. 

“What I can tell you is that we had a meeting and we have picked up that there are a lot of personnel issues within the City Police, hence we decided to come up with a strategy that will solve it at once based on the outcome of the council meeting. I cannot divulge any details regarding the strategy before the council has pronounced its position,” he said. An insider at the City of Windhoek yesterday told New Era the City is expected to cough close to N$400 000 for each affected employee. 

The figure excludes interest accrued and which is backdated to the date of the ruling.   New Era is also reliably informed the 15 superintendents spent more than N$300 000 on legal costs to fight their employer.

ljason@nepc.com.na