Staff Reporter
THE City of Windhoek Management Committee has resolved to restart the recruitment process for the position of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) as irregularities were detected in the process, translating to a failure to comply with the recruitment regulations outlined in the Local Authorities Act 23 (1992).
The Chairperson of the City of Windhoek’s Management Committee, Ndeshihafela Larandja, shared this at a media briefing that aimed to shed light on the status of the CEO recruitment and the legal process involved.
Defining the CEO position as a “crucial position that is at the apex of every efficient functioning Local Authority Council”, Larandja said that its importance is highlighted by the manner in which appointments are made. She explained that compliance with the legal framework outlined in the act is crucial as this is intended to ensure that there are relevant checks and balances in the recruitment process.
“At its meeting held on 2 November 2021, the Management Committee, in exercise of its statutory duty and after due consideration of the recommendations made to it by the interview panel, invoked regulation 27(8)(a), which empowers it to request the acting Strategic Executive Human Capital and Corporate Service to restart the recruitment process as it found irregularities,” she explained.
One of the irregularities is the tampering of requirements for the advertised CEO position. Larandja explained that Section 16(4) of the Local Authorities Act stipulates that “the shortlisting committee must at a meeting shortlist the candidates using the requirements specified in the advertisement. However, she said, extra requirements were added for the position after it was advertised, which means that it was not in compliance with the aforementioned section.
She said that the Management Committee is also not convinced that the Acting CEO, O’Brien Hekandjo, should have served in the shortlisting committee as the Strategic Executive of the Department of Human Capital and Corporate Services, while an Acting Strategic Executive is appointed to serve in the same portfolio.
An irregularity was also detected with regards to the tallying of applicants. Larandja revealed that the list provided by the Department of Human Capital and Corporate Services indicated that there were 61 applicants – with 25 meeting the requirements, of which five are shortlisted – but the submissions indicate that there were 68 candidates.
Given these irregularities, she explained, the Management Committee requested the relevant department to restart the recruitment process. A decision that Larandja said was made to protect the interest of the Council and to exercise the statutory powers and those conferred on it by the recruitment and selection regulations.
“Management Committee is empowered to restart the recruitment process if it has reasons to believe that the interview panel has not been transparent or that there have been irregularities in the recruitment and selection process or that the recommendations made by the interview panel are not in the best interest of the council,” she added.
File photo for illustrative purposes only.
