THE Tses Village Council has terminated the employment contract of its chief executive office (CEO) Fritz Christiaan.
Christiaan was serving his second five-year contract as the council’s CEO and had only two weeks left of his contract.
The village council has noted the alleged stagnation of the council, absenteeism, and undermining authority as reasons for ending Christiaan’s contract.
Tses Village Council chairperson Lena Araes says since taking office about 10 months ago, nothing has transpired in terms of development.
She says for the past six to seven months the village council has been struggling to get the CEO to cooperate with the council, but this was to no avail, leading to the councils stagnation.
ABSENTEEISM ISSUES
“We’ve struggled to get him to work with us. However, the most significant issue is absenteeism. He is not at work at all times. That is the most important issue,” Araes says.
The village council says it has requested the ||Kharas Regional Council to assign a senior staffer to serve as acting CEO in the meantime before commencing with the recruitment process of a substantive CEO.
Last week, Tses villagers protested about a lack of basic facilities such as banks, service stations, clothing stores and not being able to buy electricity and water after hours.
Resident spokesperson Margareth Basson said the villagers are tired of travelling 80km to Keetmanshoop to access these facilities and to do shopping.
The residents said the village has deteriorated instead of developing.
“We cannot continue like this. We want leaders who can facilitate these basic services. Why did we vote for them? For them to travel in council cars free of charge while we are struggling to have access to basic facilities,” she said.
They accused the village council of maladministration, irregular tender awards and undermining the authority of elected councillors. The residents questioned Christiaan’s leadership, demanding his immediate removal.
“As we strive for progress and development as a community, it has become clear that we suffer disregard, disrespect, deceit, unfaithfulness and misleading conduct from those in power,” the residents said.
Basson said communication and information sharing from regional and national government structures are also being obstructed, leaving residents uninformed about important directives, especially those meant to benefit the community.
Christiaan this week confirmed having received the letter terminating his employment contract.
He said he received a letter in May already, stating his contract would not be renewed, which he initially accepted.
He denied the allegations against him and inferred that the councillors were involved in instigating the residents who demonstrated against him on Friday.
The council has denied this allegation.
“I am not surprised nor embarrassed by the state of affairs. I was aware that my contract wouldn’t be renewed and their sudden shift to terminate my contract immediately after the petition proves my point,” Christiaan said.
He said he was initially fine with the non-renewal, but now the terms have shifted, because he has been told his employment is being terminated based on new allegations.
“For that reason I’m now consulting my lawyers on this matter.”
