KEETMANSHOOP - The Keetmanshoop municipality has placed its CEO, Desmond Basson, on administrative leave for three months, starting 3 May.

In a statement, municipal spokesperson Dawn Kruger said the decision has been taken during a recent special council meeting. 

“This meeting was convened to deliberate
on the matter of the CEO signing a service level agreement with Maximum Profit Recovery Namibia (Pty) Ltd. on 6 August 2018,” she explained in the statement. 

Kruger said the agreement was entered without the co-signature of the then chairperson of the management committee, Gabriel Freyer. 

The statement further reads that it seems no council resolution has been taken with regard to the agreement.  “The meeting resolved that the CEO, Desmond Basson, be put on administrative leave from 3 May 2021 for three months to allow an unhindered investigation,” she said.

Council has appointed an independent/private consultant to investigate the matter, and it also appointed the senior executive for the Keetmanshoop Electricity Business Unit,
Reginald Brandt, as acting CEO for a period of three months, starting from 3 May 2021, with
Elvis Mukaya, senior executive: human resources as his alternate.

Kruger gave the assurance that the council is determined to resolve the matter in a lawful and timeous manner and ensured stakeholders that operations will continue as normal.

Efforts to get comments from Basson went futile as he is out of town and his mobile number remains unanswered.

- sklukowski@nepc.com.na