Councillor, CEO at loggerheads about dismissal

A TOP official and a Town Councillor at the Keetmanshoop Municipality are at loggerheads over the dismissal of the Councillor’s brother, James Titus.

Titus, who was employed as a casual worker to administer the Build Together housing loan scheme, was given the boot by the municipality’s Chief Executive Officer, Jeremia Shangadhi, after it surfaced that he had granted his girlfriend an additional loan of N$12 000 on top of the N$20 000 loan for which she qualified. Yesterday, Shangadhi disputed claims that he had unilaterally and unfairly dismissed the councillor’s brother.In a letter to the Council dated November 29 that came into possession of The Namibian, Councillor Moses Titus claimed that the CEO had not held a disciplinary hearing before firing his brother.He further claimed that the Council was not consulted before the CEO acted against his brother.In addition, he claimed the powers of the CEO to terminate the service of an employee could be disputed and that the reasons given by the CEO did not justify the dismissal.”There is no doubt in my mind that we are going to lose this case, which at the end will be very costly to Council, our residents and the town at large,” the letter says.In turn, Shangadi said the Local Authority regulations stipulated that he can hire and fire low-ranking staff without the blessing of the Council.”I do have a problem with councillors who do not read their Local Authority Act, which results in them misleading the public,” Shangadhi said.He said he was not obliged to hold a disciplinary hearing, as he was dealing with a casual worker.”I do not have any grudge against the said worker, but he had virtually stolen public monies and must bear the consequences,” he claimed.According to Shangadhi, Council had reinstated some staff members dismissed in the past on the grounds that they were “poor”.He accused Councillor Titus of a conflict of interest.”It is pure conflict of interest.How come he is defending his brother, instead of assigning another councillor to act on his brother’s behalf,” he said.Titus disagrees.”As elected councillor of the Keetmanshoop Local Authority Council I am representing each and every resident in this town and as such the interest of the Council and its residents weighs more than my intimate interest in this case,” he said.Both Shangadhi and Councillor Titus accused each other of bearing a grudge against the other.Titus said Shangadhi’s action was triggered by a split within the council.He claimed that Shangadhi sided with one group of councillors that lost their battle to have their favourite candidate elected as Mayor of the town.On the other hand, Shangadhi accused Councillor Titus of tribalism and wanting him (Shangadhi) out of the municipality.”He always attacks me for being an Ovambo working in a Nama area,” he said.In the letter, Councillor Titus proposed that the Council settle the dispute by paying his brother’s claim of N$26 307,27 and other costs (not mentioned) in full.Shangadhi said he offered to pay N$5 000 to the councillor’s brother after the Council decided to reach an out-of-court settlement.When contacted for comment, the councillor’s brother, James Titus, said he had acted within the rules in granting his girlfriend an additional loan.”I had given five other people including my girlfriend the additional loans, for which Shangadhi signed off the cheques,” he said.He said his girlfriend was capable of repaying the loan and had not defaulted on her payments since she was granted the loan.But, according Shangadhi, the Build Together Housing Committee had decided at one of its meetings not to grant any additional loans.He said he had been unaware of this decision when he approved the loans, and was only later informed by Neville Hupita, a municipal employee, that the councillor’s brother had authorised additional loans against the committee’s decision.Yesterday, Shangadhi disputed claims that he had unilaterally and unfairly dismissed the councillor’s brother.In a letter to the Council dated November 29 that came into possession of The Namibian, Councillor Moses Titus claimed that the CEO had not held a disciplinary hearing before firing his brother.He further claimed that the Council was not consulted before the CEO acted against his brother.In addition, he claimed the powers of the CEO to terminate the service of an employee could be disputed and that the reasons given by the CEO did not justify the dismissal.”There is no doubt in my mind that we are going to lose this case, which at the end will be very costly to Council, our residents and the town at large,” the letter says.In turn, Shangadi said the Local Authority regulations stipulated that he can hire and fire low-ranking staff without the blessing of the Council.”I do have a problem with councillors who do not read their Local Authority Act, which results in them misleading the public,” Shangadhi said.He said he was not obliged to hold a disciplinary hearing, as he was dealing with a casual worker.”I do not have any grudge against the said worker, but he had virtually stolen public monies and must bear the consequences,” he claimed.According to Shangadhi, Council had reinstated some staff members dismissed in the past on the grounds that they were “poor”.He accused Councillor Titus of a conflict of interest.”It is pure conflict of interest.How come he is defending his brother, instead of assigning another councillor to act on his brother’s behalf,” he said.Titus disagrees.”As elected councillor of the Keetmanshoop Local Authority Council I am representing each and every resident in this town and as such the interest of the Council and its residents weighs more than my intimate interest in this case,” he said.Both Shangadhi and Councillor Titus accused each other of bearing a grudge against the other.Titus said Shangadhi’s action was triggered by a split within the council.He claimed that Shangadhi sided with one group of councillors that lost their battle to have their favourite candidate elected as Mayor of the town.On the other hand, Shangadhi accused Councillor Titus of tribalism and wanting him (Shangadhi) out of the municipality.”He always attacks me for being an Ovambo working in a Nama area,” he said.In the letter, Councillor Titus proposed that the Council settle the dispute by paying his brother’s claim of N$26 307,27 and other costs (not mentioned) in full.Shangadhi said he offered to pay N$5 000 to the councillor’s brother after the Council decided to reach an out-of-court settlement.When contacted for comment, the councillor’s brother, James Titus, said he had acted within the rules in granting his girlfriend an additional loan.”I had given five other people including my girlfriend the additional loans, for which Shangadhi signed off the cheques,” he said.He said his girlfriend was capable of repaying the loan and had not defaulted on her payments since she was granted the loan.But, according Shangadhi, the Build Together Housing Committee had decided at one of its meetings not to grant any additional loans.He said he had been unaware of this decision when he approved the loans, and was only later informed by Neville Hupita, a municipal employee, that the councillor’s brother had authorised additional loans against the committee’s decision.