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ACC probes Rundu CEO recruitment

THE Anti-Corruption Commission has written to the Rundu Town Council, requesting information over alleged irregularities around the recruitment process in the shortlisting of candidates for the council’s top job.

The corruption watchdog said in an email leaked to that the council should provide it with a copy of the advert, long list and shortlist.

The ACC’s request to be provided with the said documents, sources said, follows after complaints relating to the council’s CEO recruitment process.

The council’s CEO’s position, which has been vacant for almost a year has attracted 19 applications.

However, only the council’s former acting CEO, Sikongo Haihambo, was shortlisted and interviewed, as other applicants did not have the required qualifications.

The minimum qualifications required for the CEO position was a master’s degree in administration as well as nine years’ senior management level experience.

Critics have also expressed concern over the lack of a second candidate, and described the recruitment process as “disturbing”.

The Namibian has established that council last week Wednesday approved its management council’s recommendation taken last Monday to appoint Haihambo as council’s top administrator.

People familiar with council’s workings described Haihambo’s appointment as “ patently nepotistic” on the basis that he is related to the management committee’s chairperson Annatasia Shinduvi, who is apparently married to his uncle.

Shinduvi, sources said, had apparently not excused herself from both management committee and council meetings at which Haihambo appointment as the council’s new CEO were deliberated and approved.

Council’s acting CEO Herman Haingura on Tuesday confirmed council received an e-mail communication from the ACC, requesting a copy of the advert, long list and shortlist.

According to him, the documents had been already provided to the corruption watchdog.

He could, however, not be drawn into confirming that council had approved the management committee’s recommendation that Haihambo be appointed as council CEO.

“Please take note that the discussion, decision and recommendation of the management committee is still confidential, and not for public consumption at this stage because it still needs to be submitted to the minister for consideration,” he stated.

In September 2018, Haihambo was also brought in from outside and appointed on a six-months contract as council’s acting CEO.

The Namibia Press Agency (Nampa) reported that this contract had lapsed at the end of February this year, but council had extended it, to which Haihambo had agreed.

Nampa further reported Haihambo had tendered his resignation in May, citing continued infighting among the council’s office-bearers.

The selection of Haihambo as acting CEO at that time, amid capable permanent senior staffers, had also raised red flags.

Haihambo was also the former acting statistician general of the Namibia Statistics Agency, a role he held for six months, and was likewise a former deputy chief executive officer: operations of the Millennium Challenge Account Namibia.

He also served as a director on the boards of various public and private institutions, and holds a master’s degree in business administration, and a bachelor’s degree in commerce.

Several attempts last week to get comment from Shinduvi proved futile as her cellphone was not reachable. At the time going to print yesterday, Shinduvi also did not respond to cellphone text messages sent to her cellphone.

Haihambo on Sunday declined to comment on claims of his family relationship with Shinduvi.

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