Otavi mayor Isaac !Hoaeb on Monday said several positions currently occupied at the council were created by the 2014 structure that was not approved by the urban development ministry.
!Hoaeb was responding to Eagle FM’s enquiry on what the council was going to do regarding Ernst Gaoab’s self-appointment to the position of manager for human resources.
Gaoab, the current acting CEO, wrote the appointment letter to himself in November 2020.
Haeb further said the urban development ministry informed that the 2014 structure they were using had not been approved.
Rather, he said, the urban development ministry said the approved structure was that of 2011.
!Hoaeb said the previous council was using the 2014 structure that created several positions that are occupied now.
“We are waiting for the ministerial team to report back to us so that we can review the processes,” !Hoaeb said.
A ministerial team from the urban ministry sent to Otavi to look into the affairs of the council concluded that Gaoab’s action was irregular.
Urban development ministry sources said the self-appointment and the self-promotion is contrary to the provisions of recruitment and selection regulations because the position was not advertised and there were no interviews done.
According to the sources, the position Gaoab gave himself does not exist in the council staff establishment.
The findings revealed that the issue of the position of head of human resources was made when Otavi was a village council.
“Thus, the current approved salary structure and staff structure did not make provision for the position of manager: human resources and administration.
Minutes of the council management committee of 9 July 2019 with resolution number MCM/06/2019-11.8 which are referred to in the appointment letter signed by Gaoab himself do not exist.
“The council could not provide the minutes and resolution that resolved the appointment of Mr Gaoab as a head of the department,” the statement says.
The only existing minutes of 12 November 2019 resolved to reinstate Gaoab as head of the department and not as a manager.
A submission made to the management committee dated 11 January 2021 by the financial manager says it was wrong for Gaoab to appoint himself.
The submission states that all the staff received appointment letters including Gaoab as a human resource officer.
“Due to the staff compliment and the financial constraints of the council only two managerial positions were approved by the line ministry (technical and finance) … The positions of the HR Manager and LED Manager had been frozen as per the directive from the ministry, therefore they were not advertised,” the submission says.
The submission adds: “The personnel budget that reflects under HR Department for the manager is not a true reflection. Both actual and current should be zero.”
When Otavi was a village council, there were four heads of departments for technical, human resources, finance and for LED.
