WALVIS BAY – Seventeen years without an internal audit, gaps in key governance systems, and the absence of a performance management system – the Walvis Bay Municipality is an institution at sixes and sevens.

The situation has raised fundamental governance concerns at one of the country’s biggest local authorities. Walvis Bay mayor Johannes Shimbilinga, during a consultation meeting with residents on Monday, revealed that they unearthed a series of discrepancies when they took office last year, shortly after the Regional Councils and Local Authorities elections.

Raising concern over the long-standing governance failures at the municipality, Shimbilinga said  critical systems such as internal auditing and performance management have been absent for years.

“When we came into office, we needed to understand what is going on and what used to happen,” he told residents.

The findings paint a troubling picture, raising serious key issues that impact the smooth running of an institution that provides key services to residents, the politician said.

“What I found was not what I expected, and I am not sure how best to express it. There has been no general manager for the past 17 years. I find this very difficult to believe,” he told the residents.

The mayor further revealed that there has been no internal audit conducted to assess risks and provide oversight functions in the municipality.

“There has been none; also, most of the job descriptions are either poorly designed or do not exist. No performance management system is in place as well,” he explained.

Shimbilinga said the situation was compounded by structural deficiencies identified by the current CEO.

The CEO, Victoria Kapanda, who was only appointed in 2024, could not even locate a procurement unit within the municipality when she arrived, he said.

It was only managed and established last year.

“This unit was only established last year,” he said.

Another thorny issue, he said, was the fact that some employees were in business with the municipality, raising questions around potential conflicts of interest and insider trading.

“This followed reports I received about certain irregularities. I was informed that some staff members were conducting business with the municipality, which I was not happy about,” he said.

Meanwhile, former Walvis Bay councillor Romeo Goseb, who served between 2000 and 2022 said the situation highlights the need for legislative reform.

“In respect of the current governance instruments that guide local authorities, I would say Schedule 1 municipalities should be required, through amendments to the Local Authorities Act, Act 23 of 1992, to have internal auditors and legal officers within their institutions,” he said.

According to him, this will minimise the outflow of funds to procure auditing and legal services from the private sector, “allowing councils to redirect resources to essential services such as sewerage, road maintenance and land development.”

He added that municipalities must align themselves with international standards.

“Local authorities should align operations to meet international standards, and that must be addressed as a matter of utmost urgency if we are to comply with the mantra of business unusual,” he said.

Opinion

Reacting to the governance quagmire, political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah also expressed concern, warning weak structures directly impact service delivery.

According to him, this is a clear example of how weak governance and unbalanced political power can negatively affect service delivery.

 “If for 17 years there has been no internal audit, no proper performance management system, and poorly designed job descriptions, this creates an environment where there is little accountability and high risk for mismanagement,” he said.

Kamwanyah added that the absence of basic systems points to deep-rooted institutional problems.

According to him, the fact that the CEO could not even locate a procurement unit shows how deeply structural issues run.

Adding that without proper systems in place, resources cannot be managed effectively, and ultimately the community suffers.

He then called for an investigation into allegations of misconduct, saying that reports of staff doing business with the municipality raise serious concerns about conflict of interest and ethical conduct.

“It warrants an investigation. This situation highlights the importance of checks and balances in political leadership. When power is not properly monitored, governance weakens, and service delivery declines.

The focus now must be on restoring systems, enforcing accountability, and ensuring that the municipality works in the best interest of the community.

– edeklerk@nepc.com.na