Suspended Katima Mulilo Town Council chief executive Raphael Liswaniso says minister of urban and rural development James Sankwasa had forced the council to suspend him.
Liswaniso, who won a labour case against the town council for his suspension on 28 October without pay, was suspended for a second time on Monday.
Sankwasa, in a letter addressed to mayor Kabende Kabende on 13 April, says he approves of Liswaniso’s suspension with pay and with immediate effect.
His letter says the matter must be treated with urgency.
Liswaniso, in a press release alongside his lawyer, advocate Victor Kangumu, yesterday said treating his suspension as a matter of urgency creates a smokescreen as to who initiated his latest suspension.
“Sankwasa suspended me in the first instance through his administrator, while he was in charge of the council.
Therefore, it would be common cause for him to either influence the council or coerce the council into suspending me again.
“The threatening statement of ‘take this as urgent’ turns it into a directive, even if it was a request to suspend,” he says.
Kangumu says the latest suspension aims to sway public perception against his client.
“The new suspension fails to observe and appreciate that the arbitration award binds both parties upon filing of such award by any affected party,” he says.
In the recent suspension seen by The Namibian yesterday, the council says the conditions are that Liswaniso was required to surrender all council properties in his possession by 14 April.
Furthermore, he is expected to remain within the Katima Mulilo jurisdiction, and to make himself available whenever his presence is required.
If he wishes to travel outside the jurisdiction during suspension, he must seek the council’s approval.
Kabende, when approached for comment this week, referred The Namibian to the suspension letter.
“I have no comment. Please refer to his suspension letter,” he said.
Questions sent to Sankwasa went unanswered yesterday.
Namibia Association of Local Authorities president Moses Matyayi yesterday spoke out against the “castigation” of local authority chief executive officers (CEOs) and officials.
He said CEOs and officials are being suspended arbitrarily or expelled without following proper procedure.
. . . where this is due to political influence or undue interference.
We believe they pose a threat to a number of issues, including the non-renewal of [employment] contracts, and as CEOs we are threatened,” he said.
Matyayi said the trend is not only unjust, but also degrading.
“It may have enduring career-limiting implications for many of us,” he said.
Liswaniso was suspended late last year without pay and benefits on charges of alleged misconduct, and contraventions of the Local Authorities Act, internal personnel rules, and council procedures.
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