WINDHOEK - Under siege Windhoek City Police Chief yesterday withdrew the court case he lodged against the City of Windhoek and its Chief Executive Officer.
Kanime was reinstated in his former position and has started work already, papers filed at the court revealed.
Windhoek High Court Judge Harald Geier granted Kanime leave to withdraw the application and ordered that each party should pay their own costs.
It was further revealed that the parties are in discussions on the dates for the disciplinary hearing to be conducted against Kanime.
Kanime who was suspended last year is expected to answer to 69 charges of misconduct including allegations that he made unauthorised payments to lawyers in cases against the City by himself and members of the force.
He is also accused of flouting the City’s recruiting procedures by appointing officers unilaterally and of appointing officers in acting positions for longer than the prescribed period. The City has however decided to withdraw all of the charges against Kanime including the unauthorised payments to lawyers, but the 20 charges of misconduct concerning the alleged appointments of police officers without following the correct recruitment processes.
Kanime was suspended with full pay including benefits which amounted to N$184 000 per month.
After several months passed by without him being brought before a disciplinary committee, Kanime lodged the application to the Windhoek High Court to have his suspension lifted and being reinstated.
Before the court could pronounce itself however, the City decided to lift the suspension with the same perks as before.
Speaking to New Era telephonically yesterday, Kanime said that he is happy to be back at work. “I’m here now putting things in order,” he said and added that he got everything that he needed from the court application. “I wanted the things to be finalised, that’s why I approached the court and it is now up to the lawyers to finds space in their busy schedules to set up dates for the disciplinary hearing,” Kanime said.
CEO Robert Kahimise said he is not in a position to answer questions on the matter and referred New Era to the Public Relations Office of the City.