THE urban development ministry has asked the Otavi Town Council to explain several allegations of corruption, nepotism, tender irregularities, and the renewal of the town’s chief executive’s term of office. Nghidinua Daniel, the urban development permanent secretary, confirmed this last week.
The intervention by the ministry comes after a whistle-blower wrote a letter on 3 August 2016 to urban minister Sophia Shaningwa, asking her to probe irregularities at the town situated in the Otjozondjupa region.
The whistle-blower asked the minister to investigate the extension of the five-year contract of the town’s chief executive, Moses Matyayi, whose alleged sins include claims that investments of the town council are unclear; dubious allocation of land; tender irregularities, and preferential treatment in the employment processes at the council.
Daniel told that they received the letter by the whistle-blower and asked the council to explain.
He said that before the ministry gets involved and investigates, their approach is to first present the allegations to the concerned council to react or investigate.
“This is what we have already done in this case. The response that we will receive from council will inform the ministry on the next step to be taken,” Daniel said.
He said the ministry will decide whether and when to launch its own investigation into the allegations upon receipt of a response or non-response from the Otavi Town Council.
“Given the oversight role of the council, when we decide to intervene, our investigation may not only be confirmed to cover the specific allegations (against the CEO) but also the council and any other parties who may be implicated or found wanting on the basis of reasonable grounds or evidence,” Daniel added.
According to him, the minister will only pronounce herself once sufficient information has been presented before her – either from the council and/or an investigation that the ministry may commission.
He said the ministry has an oversight role of ensuring that the affairs of councils are administered in accordance with the law, but that oversight role does not replace the function of councils and management committees.
“As you may be aware, CEOs are employees of local authorities and not the ministry, although the consent of the minister for a candidate recommended by a council is a legal requirement,” he added.
As such, Daniel said, council is the employer of the CEO and is expected to ensure that the chief executive runs the affairs of the local authority according to the rules.
“And if there is evidence that she or he is not doing so, the council can take disciplinary action against the CEO, following laid-down procedures,” Daniel further said.
The whistle-blower said the CEO’s contract was prematurely ended in June to hand him a new five-year deal, even though his term was supposed to end in November this year.
“The CEO’s employment contract has been prematurely ended in June 2016, and quickly renewed. The rationale behind that move is very questionable,” the letter said.
The CEO is also accused by the whistle-blower of protecting people close to him and employing officials such as the property officer and financial manager without council blessing.
The Otavi chief executive said he was not aware of the questions by the ministry, but said they are open to any type of investigation.
Asked whether his salary was increased beyond the limit, Matyayi said his salary is confidential and that he does not employ himself.
“Thus I do not know how I could have increased my own salary, which is contrary to the governing principles,” he said.
Matyayi also admitted that he is a businessman, but declined to name his business.
“Yes, I own a company, and have declared this to council upon my employment in 2010,” he said.
The CEO took over as town council chief executive in 2010 when he was 26 years old, making him one of the youngest executives running a local authority.
In an interview with in 2012, Matyayi, who is also a board member of the NBC, claimed that his team dragged the town out of its difficulties.
“Within a period of five months, we had achieved a milestone by regaining [upgrading] the local authority council from village to town in September 2010,” he said at the time.
