Eveline de Klerk

WALVIS BAY – The Walvis Bay municipality’s CEO position will be readvertised after some councillors and political parties apparently interfered with the process. A source within council told New Era yesterday that some of the councillors were not happy with the shortlisted candidates as well as the initial requirements listed for the position. 

Some allegedly demanded to be told who the shortlisted candidates were, and wanted to make changes to push for their own preferred candidates.  

According to the source, an employee who was instrumental in the shortlisting was also threatened with suspension for refusing to divulge the names of the shortlisted candidates. 

The position became vacant after council opted not to renew the contract of former CEO, Muronga Haingura, for a third term. 

Council has been without a CEO for the past six months after Haingura’s contract ended in November last year. 

The chairperson of the management committee, Richard Hoaeb, yesterday told New Era that discussions have taken place around the issue, but no decision has been made in terms of re-advertising the position.  

“No decision has been made to re-advertise or whether to continue with the current shortlisted candidates. The councillors have yet to reach consensus in that regard. Overall, we need a very strong, confident and incorruptible person who will not have an allegiance to anyone to lead the municipality,” he stated. 

 This publication understands that council received 30 applications for the position, but only five candidates met the set criteria. 

None of the candidates have been interviewed as well. “Ironically, the people who were not shortlisted are more qualified than the five who are shortlisted.  The ones who are shortlisted also had more experience than the qualifying five. That is how the requirements were somehow set up to exclude the right candidates,” the source said yesterday. 

New Era furthermore understands that council now wants to compare the job descriptions of at least two local authorities as well as several parastatals to compare and benchmark what they want for their next CEO.  Swapo councillor Ndota Shozi told New Era that all councillors are aware that the position will be re-advertised. “All some of us know is that the position was advertised, and shortlisting was done. That’s when the interference came in, ironically. It is important to know that we as councillors can interfere, but not in administrative issues, as the process can become costly for council,” Shozi added yesterday. edeklerk@nepc.com.na