Albertina Nakale
The Grootfontein municipality has issued a notice for a disciplinary hearing on numerous charges of misconduct against its CEO, Kisco Sinvula.
The hearing is scheduled to take place from 19-22July 2022 at the municipal council chambers. According to the charge-sheet, Sinvula must answer to about 30 charges of misconduct in terms of section 29(6) (a) of the Local Authorities Act, 1992, and the Personnel Rules of the Municipality of Grootfontein, 2010.
This follows after the municipality’s chairperson of the management committee Elizabeth Kastoor moved a motion in March to get the town’s CEO suspended over allegations of serious misconduct.
These allegations range from insubordination, abuse of power, violations of the Local Authorities Act of 1992, violations of the Procurement Act, corruption, forgery, misleading and misrepresentation of facts, negligent trading, utterances and violations of the labour law, racketeering and the misuse of public funds.
The hearing will be chaired by Frank Kopplinger of Kopplinger Boltman legal practitioners. Kastoor at the weekend confirmed that Sinvula had been served with the notification.
“I called him four times on Friday, but he didn’t respond. I went to his house in Windhoek to give him the notice. He was not at home. So, I left a copy of the notice with his wife. I also gave a copy to his lawyer, and I emailed the notice to Kisco’s private email address,” she claimed.
Kastoor informed Sinvula that in the event that he fails to attend the hearing without timeously providing acceptable and legitimate reasons for his absence, the session may be conducted and finalised in his absence.
“Such failure or refusal will be interpreted to imply that you have waived your right to an enquiry,” she stated.
Sinvula did not respond to questions sent to him over the weekend on whether he received the notice of a disciplinary hearing.
Kastoor informed Sinvula in the notice that at the hearing, he has the right be represented by his shop- steward, workplace trade union representative, fellow staff member or any other person of his choice.
Sinvula has the right to present his case, as well as the right to call witnesses to give evidence in support of his case. Other rights include to controvert evidence produced against him, and the right to cross-examine witnesses.
Equally, he has the right of access to documents produced in evidence or in connection with the alleged misconduct, and the right to appeal against the decision or action taken, if found guilty of misconduct.
Kastoor said since Sinvula’s suspension recently, council has been progressing in terms of service delivery.
“Since his suspension, we managed to repair six of our municipal trucks. They are up and running. Kisco was just interested in dishing out tenders,” Kastoor charged.