Caprivi Regional Governor off the hook …for now

CAPRIVI Governor Bernard Sibalatani has returned to office after a month-long forced leave, but it is unlikely that any further steps will be taken against him soon for his role in allowing tonnes of food aid to rot in a military warehouse last year.

The Ministry of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development said yesterday that they would await the conclusion of the disciplinary process against the other accused before deciding on the next course of action to take against Sibalatani. Permanent Secretary Erastus Negonga said that because Sibalatani was a political appointee and not a civil servant, the disciplinary process differed and in the case of Sibalatani, Cabinet in consultation with the Caprivi Regional Council would have to decide on further action against him.Sibalatani went on leave in early February at the request of Cabinet to allow the rest of the council to charge him with negligence over the rotting drought aid discovered in a warehouse last May.As the Governor, Sibalatani is the Chairperson of the Regional Emergency Management Unit, responsible for food aid.Chief Regional Officer Raymond Matiti was sent on leave soon afterwards and remains absent from office.Matiti confirmed to The Namibian yesterday that he had been charged with misconduct for his alleged role in the food scandal, but would not elaborate on what this was.He said he had not yet been informed of a date for the start of his disciplinary hearing.The Namibian is reliably informed that the Regional Council plans to charge an undisclosed number of Remu officials with misconduct for their role in the food debacle but that it was awaiting advice from the Public Service Commission before acting.Negonga said yesterday that the outcome of the disciplinary hearings of the civil servants would set the tone for any further action against Sibalatani.”We are talking about political accountability and determining the exact nature of political negligence can only be determined after the other disciplinaries are completed,” said PS Negonga.Permanent Secretary Erastus Negonga said that because Sibalatani was a political appointee and not a civil servant, the disciplinary process differed and in the case of Sibalatani, Cabinet in consultation with the Caprivi Regional Council would have to decide on further action against him.Sibalatani went on leave in early February at the request of Cabinet to allow the rest of the council to charge him with negligence over the rotting drought aid discovered in a warehouse last May.As the Governor, Sibalatani is the Chairperson of the Regional Emergency Management Unit, responsible for food aid.Chief Regional Officer Raymond Matiti was sent on leave soon afterwards and remains absent from office.Matiti confirmed to The Namibian yesterday that he had been charged with misconduct for his alleged role in the food scandal, but would not elaborate on what this was.He said he had not yet been informed of a date for the start of his disciplinary hearing.The Namibian is reliably informed that the Regional Council plans to charge an undisclosed number of Remu officials with misconduct for their role in the food debacle but that it was awaiting advice from the Public Service Commission before acting.Negonga said yesterday that the outcome of the disciplinary hearings of the civil servants would set the tone for any further action against Sibalatani.”We are talking about political accountability and determining the exact nature of political negligence can only be determined after the other disciplinaries are completed,” said PS Negonga.