Otavi boss told to pay back the money

THE Otavi Town Council’s finance manager, Ubiteb Kefas, wants the town’s acting chief executive officer (CEO), Ernst Gaoab, to pay back money he has added to his own salary.

In his letter to the council on 11 January this year, Kefas said the decision by Gaoab to adjust his salary in December 2020 constituted fraud.

He said in 2011, when a new salary and organisational structure was approved by the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, all employees below management level were realigned to the new structure.

He said due to the council’s staff complement and financial constraints, only two managerial positions were approved by the ministry.

Kefas said when the town council was a village council, there were four heads of department, but none were regarded as managers.

“I was heading the finance department as the senior accountant, but cannot claim to have been promoted to the position of finance manager automatically. That is why the position was advertised. This will result in a high salary bill which is not budgeted for,” he wrote.

He added: “ … in advance I recuse myself from fraudulent salary payments such as this. This needs to be rectified. Access payment to Mr Gaoab should be reverted to council coffers.”

Otavi mayor Isaac !Hoaeb yesterday said an investigation by the ministry and the Otavi Town Council is underway.

!Hoaeb and chairperson of the management committee Erisia Negumbo said the ministry has given the council until 4 June to submit its findings to the minister of urban and rural development, Erastus Uutoni, and to discuss the recommendations of a ministerial report on the matter. Gaoab was appointed as the town’s acting CEO on 27 April last year.

Prior to this he was appointed as the acting human resources manager on 23 January last year.

Media reports this year suggest Gaoab wrote himself an official appointment letter in November last year.

According to the letter, his annual remuneration would be N$233 000, including a N$7 000 car allowance per month, and an annual bonus of N$19 000.

Gaoab, however, says in March this year the council’s management committee decided to appoint him as acting CEO, and that he had to write his own letter of appointment.

“In normal circumstances, the human resources department or head of human resources prepares the appointment letter, and the chief executive officer signs it off. In this instance I happened to be the acting chief executive officer and human resources manager at the same time,” he said.

When approached, Gaoab said: “No comment. I believe that the council will be in a much better position to answer, since it (the letter by Kefas) was addressed to them.”