OMUTHIYA – Grootfontein municipality finance executive Ileni Hainghumbi says his exit from the local authority was planned the moment he joined 12 years ago.  
Hainghumbi tendered his resignation at the beginning of this month. “In fact, I should have left in 2018 when I reached a 10-year tenure steering the work agenda at the municipality, as that was my plan when I started working. I started in October, 12 years ago, hence the reason I am leaving in the same month,” he said. He further vowed not to retract his resignation as advised by some colleagues and council members. 

On Tuesday, Nampa reported that council has already deliberated and approved the resignation. 
Hainghumbi’s last three years have been rough and bumpy, as he was embroiled in disputes with his superiors to an extent that in January 2019, he was suspended for insubordination relating to effecting payments estimated at more N$500 000 without approval. 
He was later reinstated in April.

Hainghumbi, however, maintained the disciplinary charges and infighting was not the reason behind his resignation. 
 “I was unfazed since all the disputes started. Like I have been saying, it was some personal attack and nothing really of organisational concern. I should thank council also for having kept and worked together to this end,” he said.
Asked on the way forward, he said, “I have been doing business; I am going to focus full-time and strengthen the empire.”
Charges against Hainghumbi were dropped last month after the governor of Otjozondjupa, James Uerikua, intervened with the hope of finding an amicable solution to the impasse at the local authority.
- osimasiku@nepc.com.na