Windhoek City Must Show The Way

FIRSTLY your paper needs the necessary congratulations for informing and exposing irregularities in this country, thumbs up! Coming to the article on 25 April 2007 ‘City Chief defends personnel policy’.

It was quite interesting and at times amusing to read the response of the CEO, Mr Niilo Taapopi. We only need to go back a few years, and recall under which circumstances he, the CEO, was appointed.He, as we all know, was also not in the initial shortlist.At the time he even disputed that he applied for the position.Yet, as we know he is the current CEO.Are we now surprised to see him following the same procedures of appointing his staff? It’s rather laughable to hear him say that HR procedures were followed.Come on sir, you can’t be serious! Were any procedures followed in your very appointment, were you not handpicked by the ‘powers in power’? The invisible hand running this country? It is also alleged that Messrs J Joseph and N Sepiso were not the best of friends, especially after the latter got the Strategic Executive position at the expense of the former.Some compromise had to be reached isn’t Mr Taapopi, you do not want a scene were two ‘ladies’ were at war.The moving of Mrs J Joseph to your office as reported was indeed that compromise, without following any procedure.Could it be again the work of the invisible hand at work? Is it not true that you did not want to upset those that have placed you in that position? As for Mr Shipiki, again as it was reported he also did not make it to the shortlist, but today he’s reportedly the new head of the property management division.Again the same controversial appointment made in the CEO’s office.Dear readers, I hope you see the patterns.First the CEO himself, now head of properties …none of the two had made it to the shortlist.Yet they got the positions.It is reported that Mr Shipiki does not have all the necessary qualifications.Is that a strange thing in this country? No, not at all.Do we care about appointing the right people in the right positions? No, not at all.Do we care meeting the goals /and visions of NPDII and Vision 2030 – no, not at all! Dear concerned Namibians, please take note that in order for us to meet the goals and visions of Namibia, we must start in the capital city.Most investors make their first contact with Namibia through Windhoek.Now imagine how we possibly want to take this country further if we continue to allow irregularities and incompetence to continue at the City of Windhoek? The reason for overcharging (electricity tariffs), auctioning of pensioners’ houses, and the way the Dolam water disaster was handled, can be attributed to these irregularities and incompetence.The City must answer to us, as ratepayers.In the last few years it is known that the City has lost a good number of properly qualified personnel, simply because those in power continue to push people into key positions.And thereafter put them into training! The City continues to lose the qualified and young personnel who could be the future of the organisation (and in turn for the country).The IT department has lost quite a number in key areas, the sustainable development division has lost, and continues to lose young talent! The CEO, of the Oranjemund Town Management, played a very key role for the City but due to the problems mentioned the City has lost that able staff member.The challenge is upon the board of the City, councillors and public at large to request a report from the HR department for the number of qualified (young, black Namibians), the City has lost within the last two to three years, and what the CEO and HR has done to remedy the alarming situation.How sustainable is the exodus of those with potential and the competent going to be to the City in the long run? Another Keetmanshoop situation looming? Some answers are required on these matters.The City of Windhoek is not the only organisation with such problems.It is in this newspaper we read about the irregularities at TransNamib, SSC and many others.Simply because wrong (or not properly) qualified people occupy these positions.How long, President Pohamba, will your Government allow this kind of mismanagement to continue.Isn’t it time now to publicly pronounce yourselves on these matters for the sake of the country, and development goals? Surely the parliamentarians should debate these issues.Or, is the current City of Windhoek mismanagement and incompetence just another sensation, an issue people can talk about now until something occurs elsewhere? Is this the kind of culture we have in this country? The question I want to close off with is, “Why worry about all these, why worry about the future of this country, if everybody around you, and those in power do not worry?” I encourage all concerned Namibians to come out and talk about these issues.Let’s continue to take it to radio chat shows and newspapers.Exercise your freedom of expression! Yours for the future of this lovely country, Namibia.Paulus Hamano Via e-mailWe only need to go back a few years, and recall under which circumstances he, the CEO, was appointed.He, as we all know, was also not in the initial shortlist.At the time he even disputed that he applied for the position.Yet, as we know he is the current CEO.Are we now surprised to see him following the same procedures of appointing his staff? It’s rather laughable to hear him say that HR procedures were followed.Come on sir, you can’t be serious! Were any procedures followed in your very appointment, were you not handpicked by the ‘powers in power’? The invisible hand running this country? It is also alleged that Messrs J Joseph and N Sepiso were not the best of friends, especially after the latter got the Strategic Executive position at the expense of the former.Some compromise had to be reached isn’t Mr Taapopi, you do not want a scene were two ‘ladies’ were at war.The moving of Mrs J Joseph to your office as reported was indeed that compromise, without following any procedure.Could it be again the work of the invisible hand at work? Is it not true that you did not want to upset those that have placed you in that position? As for Mr Shipiki, again as it was reported he also did not make it to the shortlist, but today he’s reportedly the new head of the property management division.Again the same controversial appointment made in the CEO’s office.Dear readers, I hope you see the patterns.First the CEO himself, now head of properties …none of the two had made it to the shortlist.Yet they got the positions.It is reported that Mr Shipiki does not have all the necessary qualifications.Is that a strange thing in this country? No, not at all.Do we care about appointing the right people in the right positions? No, not at all.Do we care meeting the goals /and visions of NPDII and Vision 2030 – no, not at all! Dear concerned Namibians, please take note that in order for us to meet the goals and visions of Namibia, we must start in the capital city.Most investors make their first contact with Namibia through Windhoek.Now imagine how we possibly want to take this country further if we continue to allow irregularities and incompetence to continue at the City of Windhoek? The reason for overcharging (electricity tariffs), auctioning of pensioners’ houses, and the way the Dolam water disaster was handled, can be attributed to these irregularities and incompetence.The City must answer to us, as ratepayers.In the last few years it is known that the City has lost a good number of properly qualified personnel, simply because those in power continue to push people into key positions.And thereafter put them into training! The City continues to lose the qualified and young personnel who could be the future of the organisation (and in turn for the country).The IT department has lost quite a number in key areas, the sustainable development division has lost, and continues to lose young talent! The CEO, of the Oranjemund Town Management, played a very key role for the City but due to the problems mentioned the City has lost that able staff member.The challenge is upon the board of the City,
councillors and public at large to request a report from the HR department for the number of qualified (young, black Namibians), the City has lost within the last two to three years, and what the CEO and HR has done to remedy the alarming situation.How sustainable is the exodus of those with potential and the competent going to be to the City in the long run? Another Keetmanshoop situation looming? Some answers are required on these matters.The City of Windhoek is not the only organisation with such problems.It is in this newspaper we read about the irregularities at TransNamib, SSC and many others.Simply because wrong (or not properly) qualified people occupy these positions.How long, President Pohamba, will your Government allow this kind of mismanagement to continue.Isn’t it time now to publicly pronounce yourselves on these matters for the sake of the country, and development goals? Surely the parliamentarians should debate these issues.Or, is the current City of Windhoek mismanagement and incompetence just another sensation, an issue people can talk about now until something occurs elsewhere? Is this the kind of culture we have in this country? The question I want to close off with is, “Why worry about all these, why worry about the future of this country, if everybody around you, and those in power do not worry?” I encourage all concerned Namibians to come out and talk about these issues.Let’s continue to take it to radio chat shows and newspapers.Exercise your freedom of expression! Yours for the future of this lovely country, Namibia.Paulus Hamano Via e-mail