THE Omusati Regional Council has appointed Gervasius Kashindi as the chief regional officer after the position had been vacant for more than 10 months.
Kashindi, a former director of general services at the regional office, has been the acting chief regional officer (CRO) after the council decided not to renew the contract of former CRO Protasius Andowa, who had been in that position for years.
According to the chairperson of the management committee, Modestus Amutse, Kashindi scored the highest in the interview, and was appointed based on merit.
“It was a credible and fair exercise. All laws and regulations were observed in the exercise, and we are confident that Kashindi is knowledgeable. With the council in his hands, we are confident that he will take it to greater heights,” he said.
Amutse added that through the 10 months that Kashindi has been acting, the regional council has observed his conduct to be excellent as he was able to monitor and evaluate council projects, motivate staff members, observe projects, and implement various developmental projects in the region.
When asked why the council decided not to renew Andowa’s contract, he stated that it was the prerogative of the council to decide whether to renew someone’s contract.
“We now regard that as a closed chapter, and we respect the contributions he made to the regional council. What happened has happened. Let it be,” said Amutse.
He added that the council’s performance has improved over time, as it is amongst the top regional councils whose financial reports are in good standing.
The Omusati Regional Council is also in the top three regional councils in the country to have obtained an unqualified audit report.
During Andowa’s tenure as the regional chief, the council’s finance department was rocked by controversy for failing to account for over N$12,3 million.
Andowa and the director of finance, Elizabeth Mutota, were suspended over the missing millions in 2016. However, the two were reinstated in June 2017.
The regional council has not been able to account for the money to date.
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