Staff Writer
The entire City of Windhoek (CoW) council was on Monday summoned to an urgent meeting with Urban and Rural Development Minister Erastus Uutoni to discuss developments at the local authority. Among issues discussed was the contentious reappointment of City Police Chief Abraham Kanime.
In his letter requesting the urgent meeting, the minister said, “This communique serves to inform your good office that I would like to have an urgent meeting with the entire Council of the City of Windhoek to consult on the developments at the City of Windhoek. I request that you provide me as soon as possible, a brief write up of sequence of events that concerns the City Police Chief Abraham Kanime in reference to his occupation at the City of Windhoek.”
Uutoni’s intervention comes after the CoW Chief Executive Officer Robert Kahimise wrote to President Hage Geingob seeking his intervention after the Swapo led council pushed through the appointment of Kanime despite a contradicting legal opinion and objections from Kahimise as the municipality chief accounting officer.
The Urban and Rural Development Minister was also said to be unhappy with continued negative reports about the council, including recent revelations in local media that the council Management Committee of the City offered fixed-term employment contracts to two strategic executives late last year without the CEO’s knowledge and approval.
Urban and Rural Development ministry Executive Director, Nghidinwa Daniel confirmed the meeting between the minister and the council.
“Yes, the meeting took place. The Minister called for unity of purpose and for the Council (Councillors and Management) to focus and devote its energy and resources towards improving the welfare of the residents in general and a special attention to be paid to security of tenure and provision of basic services to residents of informal settlements,” he said.
City Mayor, Fransina Kahungu was tight-lipped when contacted for comment, referring the Windhoek Observer to the minister.
“Who told you about the meeting,” she quizzed.
The City Police Chief, who turned 60 years old last month, was handed a new three year contract by the CoW management committee, a decision which will cost the council over N$200,000 a month.
In his new contract, the City Police Chief will have the option to report directly to the City management committee instead of the CEO, a move which creates a parallel structure in the day to day operations of the city.
The move by Uutoni comes after Geingob was last year forced to intervene in the City of Windhoek affairs and ordered a truce at the city council by ordering the reinstatement of then suspended City Police chief and for council to drop disciplinary charges against Kahimise after the two had been engaged in a long-running feud.
