By: Hellen Andreas & Kelvin Chiringa

The suspended chief executive officer of Oniipa applied for the same position at the Okahao amidst reports that the councillors there recommended him for the job despite being under investigation.

A close source informed The Villager that Junias Jakob was recommended with 66 score sheets amongst three candidates vying for the position.

Jakob denied any knowledge of being recommended for the top job, although he confirmed that he had applied for the position.

The reason for his suspension at Oniipa was not immediately apparent.

He confirmed that he had attended interviews for the Okahao CEO job.

“I went for interviews, but I do not know what happened after that,” he said.

He has, in the meantime, slammed the Oniipa officials for illegally getting rid of him, saying that there was an agenda against him.

An investigation is in full swing into his involvement in an electrical servicing tender at Oniipa.

Okahao councillor, Uushini Johannes, has denied that Jacobs had been recommended for the job despite an investigation at Oniipa.

“I have no idea,” he said.

Uushini said as far as he was concerned, they were still in the process of hunting for a new CEO, adding that “everybody will be informed” of the outcome.

“The issue was brought to a full council to solve the issue of why he was recommended while he was on suspension. They were asking what if he is to be found guilty. The same issue is like that of Namport. Remember when Namport appointed a person who was facing disciplinary charges at the City of Windhoek,” said the source who requested anonymity.

The Namibian reported last month that the Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) had appointed the City of Windhoek’s strategic executive for electricity O’Brien Hekandjo to lead the company’s port operations.

Namport later backtracked.

Jacobs issued a lengthy statement a few weeks ago where he said that he was the victim of an ethnic fight at Oniipa.

He could not confirm whether his application for the Okahao CEO’s position attempted to jump ship despite being investigated at Oniipa.

He has said that he has been humiliated by the councillor, Jafet Augustus, who sat and led the management committee.

He took a swipe at Augustus, saying he does not reside in Oniipa but Ondangwa.

“[He] is illegally serving in the Oniipa Town Council when he only owns a shebeen [at Oniipa]. The current Council was recently advised of this illegality but disregarded it. On 10 November 2021, the same councillor instigated the mayor and deputy mayor not to sign a document required by the court to allow a resident, whom he instigated to fight the Council, to be given eight plots as compensation from the Council at the expense of the masses,” he said.

Oniipa Town Council Leadership Vacuum Looms

The Oniipa Town Council is likely to have no council this Friday, with councillors’ annual interim election scheduled for tomorrow will not go ahead because Jakob is on suspension.

The chief executive officer’s responsibility is, among other things, to send the council agenda and convene council meetings.

The Villager understands that the Council appointed the town’s planning manager Ndapewa Ndakunda to serve as acting CEO, but she turned down the offer.

Jakob was relieved of duties on 16 November 2021 after the Management Committee met, consisting of three council members, Chairperson Augustus AKA “Chief Nangolo” (Swapo), Loide Namuhuya (Swapo) and David Nghifikepunye (IPC).

Oniipa Town Council staff members have written a combined petition to the minister of urban and rural development, Erastus Uutoni, dated 19 November 2021, over the alleged unlawful suspension of the CEO.

They want him to cancel it.

They further demanded the minister sanction the Council over what they call bad governance, pursuant to the Code of Conduct for the Local Authority Councils and Section 92 of the Local Authorities Act (Act 23 of 1992).

They also want the Swapo party and IPC to withdraw their councillors whom they allege have engaged themselves in the unlawful suspension of the CEO.

“The Council submitted to this unlawful and unfair labour practice despite receiving a letter from the urban development minister on the same date informing them that they will send a team to investigate Jakob. The Council can only do his suspension with the prior written approval of the minister,” they said.

They said they had lost confidence in the political leadership of the town council.

“We are aware and have it on record that the Council has been intimidated to cause the CEO’s suspension by an unruly group of frustrated people referring to themselves as Oniipa Youth who petitioned with unfounded allegations against the administration of the council, the sitting CEO and designated staff members.”

The Oniipa Youth petition was submitted to the Council on 15 October 2021 after Jakob allegedly evicted a student intern whose contract had lapsed.

“The councillors are kept on their toes by the group of youth, leading to the unsubstantiated suspension of the CEO,” the employees claimed in their petition.

A source within Oniipa town council has said the absence of the CEO at the town hinders day-to-day operations of the Council and administrations of the Council.

Oniipa spokesperson Elia Shingenge said, “Yes, the ministry responded, and everything is still in the management’s hands. We are waiting to be briefed about the response. Staff members were advised not to down tools but to remain calm while waiting for the ministry to pronounce itself on the matter. Hence, all staff members are reporting to work as usual.”