The Rundu Town Council is desperately searching for a substantive CEO to lead the local authority.
The town has been without a substantive CEO since Romanus Haironga’s term of office expired at the end of July 2018.
The council roped in Sikongo Haihambo in an acting capacity but he also resigned in May last year reportedly because of infighting among the Swapo councillors.
Many other staff members have since left the council as the infighting among councillors got out of hand, while unsubstantiated allegations of corruption were also rife.
The impasse forced former urban and rural development minister Peya Mushelenga to appoint former Kavango East chief regional officer Sebastian Kantema as the council administrator. “At the moment, particularly at the administrative level, all people are acting but I’m very much happy to report that there is some positive moves with the staff that I found demoralised by the state of affairs at the council,” said Kantema.
Since 14 May, the town has been advertising for suitable candidates to vie for the coveted position of CEO and it also appealed to suitably qualified Namibians to apply and fill up the position of strategic executive for corporate service, the strategic executive for community services, divisional head for emergency service, divisional head for town planning and urban development.
Kantema told New Era at the moment, the council is in dire need of an executive team that can give it a strategic propulsion, a team of executives that should bring change to operations of the council.
“It is important that the council recruits a CEO because currently, most of the staff at management level are in acting capacity, so when a person is acting, they will not always give the best performance like someone who is in a fixed position,” he said.
“With regards to the CEO, it should be someone who will head the institution to greater heights. That individual person that will be appointed should come in, study the environment and develop strategies to address the situation at the council.”
According to him, he won’t be involved in the recruitment but he trusts the cadres are capable to give Rundu what it needs and not just a person interested to draw a monthly salary.
“Right now, Rundu needs a strategic leader, the few months that I have been here I have been driving all the affairs of the council, so there needs someone reliable to take over,” he said.
– jmuyamba@nepc.com.na