Legal conflict over regional CEOs settled

GOVERNMENT and a number of chief executives who challenged a plan by Government to replace them as heads of their regions have settled out of court.

The former chief executive officers were promoted to director level after they agreed to withdraw a court case that stopped the Ministry of Regional and Local Government and Housing from appointing chief regional officers. Frans Nghitila, spokesperson for the Ministry of Regional and Local Government and Housing, told The Namibian yesterday that a compromise was reached and “there will be no court case”.Seven chief executive officers took the Government to court late last year and halted a planned appointment of chief regional officers.They argued that they faced the loss of their jobs.The regional officers whose urgent application led to the November order were:Geitto !Gonteb (Erongo); Pederius Uaetotjari Tjihoreko (Omaheke); Theresia Basson (Hardap); Boas Shimwe Munalye (Oshana); Sophia Sointu Angula-Mupopiwa (Oshikoto); Erasmus Nganyone (Kunene); and Otniel Kazombiaze (Otjozondjupa).According to court papers filed by lawyers of the former chief executives, Government wanted to replace them with, among others, former Walvis Bay Mayor Balbina Pienaar (Omaheke), James Sankwasa (Hardap) and Peter Ndaitwa (Ohangwena).Nghitila said 10 of the 13 regional councils have new chief regional officers while Omaheke and Hardap were claiming that they were not consulted on the appointments.He refused to provide details about the problems with the two regions but said the Caprivi appointment was still being sorted out.A senior official in the Ministry of Regional and Local Government and Housing fumed over the reluctance by the Hardap and Omaheke Regions to appoint people proposed by the head office.It is believed that the Ministry still wants to appoint Pienaar (Omaheke) and Sankwasa (Hardap).Six of the seven officials who took the Government to court were appointed as directors of planning in the new structure while Nganyone from Kunene has since retired.Their previous jobs, rated at deputy director level, paid a N$213 000-a-year salary.The official in the Ministry of Regional and Local Government and Housing said Omaheke and Hardap had accepted the promotion of their former chief executive officers but refused to make other similar appointments for two more directors and the chief regional officer in the councils.”They are compromising service delivery because of reasons only known to them.The appointments are only illegal when it comes to other people but not with the promotions of the two that were already there.It does not make sense,” the official said.Earlier, Regional Government Permanent Secretary Erastus Negonga advised both the Hardap and Omaheke Regional Councils to proceed with those appointments after receiving an instruction to that effect from the Office of the Attorney General.The new chief regional officers are:Dr Ndahafa Nghifindaka (Otjozondjupa); Peter Ndaitwa (Ohangwena); Salmaan Jacobs (Karas); Amutenya Andowa (Omusati); Dr Boniface Mutumba (Kunene); Sebastian Kantema (Kavango); Shikwetepo Haindongo (Khomas); Linus //Garoeb (Erongo); and Johannes Kandombo (Oshana).Frans Nghitila, spokesperson for the Ministry of Regional and Local Government and Housing, told The Namibian yesterday that a compromise was reached and “there will be no court case”.Seven chief executive officers took the Government to court late last year and halted a planned appointment of chief regional officers.They argued that they faced the loss of their jobs.The regional officers whose urgent application led to the November order were:Geitto !Gonteb (Erongo); Pederius Uaetotjari Tjihoreko (Omaheke); Theresia Basson (Hardap); Boas Shimwe Munalye (Oshana); Sophia Sointu Angula-Mupopiwa (Oshikoto); Erasmus Nganyone (Kunene); and Otniel Kazombiaze (Otjozondjupa).According to court papers filed by lawyers of the former chief executives, Government wanted to replace them with, among others, former Walvis Bay Mayor Balbina Pienaar (Omaheke), James Sankwasa (Hardap) and Peter Ndaitwa (Ohangwena).Nghitila said 10 of the 13 regional councils have new chief regional officers while Omaheke and Hardap were claiming that they were not consulted on the appointments.He refused to provide details about the problems with the two regions but said the Caprivi appointment was still being sorted out.A senior official in the Ministry of Regional and Local Government and Housing fumed over the reluctance by the Hardap and Omaheke Regions to appoint people proposed by the head office.It is believed that the Ministry still wants to appoint Pienaar (Omaheke) and Sankwasa (Hardap).Six of the seven officials who took the Government to court were appointed as directors of planning in the new structure while Nganyone from Kunene has since retired.Their previous jobs, rated at deputy director level, paid a N$213 000-a-year salary.The official in the Ministry of Regional and Local Government and Housing said Omaheke and Hardap had accepted the promotion of their former chief executive officers but refused to make other similar appointments for two more directors and the chief regional officer in the councils.”They are compromising service delivery because of reasons only known to them.The appointments are only illegal when it comes to other people but not with the promotions of the two that were already there.It does not make sense,” the official said.Earlier, Regional Government Permanent Secretary Erastus Negonga advised both the Hardap and Omaheke Regional Councils to proceed with those appointments after receiving an instruction to that effect from the Office of the Attorney General.The new chief regional officers are:Dr Ndahafa Nghifindaka (Otjozondjupa); Peter Ndaitwa (Ohangwena); Salmaan Jacobs (Karas); Amutenya Andowa (Omusati); Dr Boniface Mutumba (Kunene); Sebastian Kantema (Kavango); Shikwetepo Haindongo (Khomas); Linus //Garoeb (Erongo); and Johannes Kandombo (Oshana).