Staff members of the Karasburg Town Council in the //Kharas region claim bullying, victimisation and intimidation from councillors.
On Monday, workers, under the Namibia Public Workers Union, staged a demonstration against working conditions.
Councillor Josef Witbooi received the petition on behalf of the council and said they would respond to the allegations and demands next week Friday.
“We hear your demands … and we have to respond to you since you are the workers speaking to air your grievances,” he said.
Three weeks ago, Karasburg mayor Maria Veldskoen, chairperson of management council Franciskus Skeyer and acting chief executive officer Hansina Isaak were arrested by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for alleged abuse of office for personal gratification and conspiring to commit crimes.
They were granted bail on Saturday of N$1 000 each by magistrate Samingo Kasaone and the case was postponed to the end of this month.
Karasburg Town Council shop steward Anthony Ortman said the workers are disgruntled and discontent.
“We don’t know to whom we should report because the council, without the line minister’s approval, appointed Isaak as acting chief executive officer (CEO), while the line ministry maintains that the substantive CEO, Nico Titus, be re-instated.
“The working environment has become not conducive, and we don’t know who is who between the acting CEO and the substantive CEO,” said Ortman.
Last week, Landless People’s Movement (LPM) leader Bernadus Swartbooi said the party would launch a civil suit against the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development and the ACC for “malicious prosecution” of the two councillors and town council official.
Swartbooi claimed the aim of the arrest was to disband the council by keeping the arrested in jail as long as possible in order to cripple the administration and decision-making at the council so that the minister could eventually appoint an administrator from Windhoek to do his bidding.
“Civil cases need to be lodged for the people that were arrested and that these things of malicious prosecution can come into the courts so that millions can be paid out to these people.You can not be arrested just because you are appointed. And where you have been given authority to appoint and you use it, then you are corrupt and must be arrested,” said Swartbooi.
Minister of urban and rural development Erastus Uutoni rubbished the claims and said the councillors are disregarding the laws and rules governing local authorities.
The ACC’s investigation came five days after Uutoni wrote a letter to Veldskoen directing her and the council to reverse a number of decisions and actions he termed “unprocedural”.
The graft charges against the three arise from the alleged illegal appointment of Isaaks as acting CEO from the Keetmanshoop municipality, as well as the appointment of Kallie Goliath as personal assistant to Veldskoen, which is reportedly not provided for in council structures.
The councillors are also accused of changing signatories of the council’s bank accounts.
The workers demanded the immediate reversal of what they called the “illegal appointment” of Isaak, as well as the security company, and a salary increase.
“We are giving you until 27 October to respond favourably or you will take full responsibility for the actions that will follow,” said Ortman.
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