THE Helao Nafidi Town Council has extended the employment contract of its chief executive officer (CEO), Inge Ipinge (66).
Ipinge’s contract came to an end this month, and will now run until August 2026, when she will turn 71.
Helao Nafidi mayor Darius Shaalukeni confirmed this yesterday.
He said the contract was extended with five years after minister of urban and rural development Erastus Uutoni rejected the council’s decision to extend Ipinge’s contract with one year.
“People are saying we have defied the minister’s order. The minister has rightly put it that we should follow the act,” Shaalukeni said.
He said Uutoni only disapproved of the one-year contract extension, because the Local Authority Act requires that CEOs are appointed on five-year contracts.
“We are not concerned about her age. We want to do things right. We want to work, but we are distracted by unnecessary things. Is she the only one on the government’s payroll who is above retirement age?” the mayor asked.
Shaalukeni last week informed Uutoni that the council took a decision on 29 July this year to extend the CEO’s contract.
The minister could not be reached for comment, while Ipinge said: “I don’t discuss personnel matters with people who are not part of the Helao Nafidi Town Council. I don’t have such a right.”
On 3 May this year, Shaalukeni requested Uutoni to extend Ipinge’s employment contract with one year and four months.
Shaalukeni wanted Ipinge’s contract to be extended from 7 August 2021 until 31 December 2022.
“I hereby inform the council that I am disapproving the request, because the council’s decision is not in line with Section 27 (3) of the Local Authorities Act of 1992 as amended,” the minister said in a letter dated 14 June 2021.
The council indicated on 29 April this year that keeping Ipinge at the helm of the council would allow councillors to familiarise themselves with municipal affairs.
Councillors said appointing a new CEO when Ipinge’s employment contract was coming to an end in August would disrupt the administration of the council.
“Because at the same time the councillors would still be in the process of familiarising themselves with the affairs of the council, and such may negatively affect the development of the town.”
They further said should the council appoint an acting CEO from its employees, the “appointed officer may suffer”.
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