THE Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has asked Government to launch a fully-fledged investigation and declare as null and void some appointments made recently by the Rehoboth Town Council.

The ACC’s recommendations were made in a letter sent to Regional and Local Government Minister, Jerry Ekandjo, after an investigation at the Town Council, concluded that several appointments were unprocedural.
One of those cited in the ACC investigation is Julia McNab, daughter of Rehoboth Deputy Mayor Cecilia McNab-Sherally who is an administrator in the health department.
The position, the investigation revealed, was not advertised to give qualified potential candidates a chance prior to McNab’s appointment.
Another person who is said to have been bulldozed into the system is Mento Links, an alleged close ally of Mayor George Dax.
Links was appointed as town lands administrator, and his position too was allegedly not advertised. Like McNab’s, Links’s appointment came through a directive from Dax.
Links continues to be in the employment of the council despite being currently under the investigation by the ACC for an unauthorised use of a Council vehicle.
He allegedly took a Council vehicle without permission and crashed it while on joyride. The vehicle has been written off.
Yet another alleged irregular appointment was that of Paul Skrywer’s who is the HIV/Aids administrator and that of Dawn Damon Abrams, an administrator.
“... These appointments should be declared null and void and the positions re-advertised,” said the ACC in its briefing to Ekandjo.
It‘s alleged some posts in the council do not exist within the structures of the local authorities as per the Local Authorities Act.
Informanté can also reveal with authority that Dax has been given directives for the permanent employment of his personal assistant Sacharia Hakskeen whose position was also not advertised, even prior to his permanent employment.
Dax refused to comment on his involvement in the appointments, referring all queries to Acting CEO Jeffrey Kasupi.
In his response, Kasupi said “Council has by virtue of legitimate management and Council resolutions appointed the following staff members with applicable background.”
According to Kasupi, Links’s employment was based on his performance, while Haakskeen’s position was created in order to co-ordinate the political mandate vested in Council and Skrywer was the focal person for the Rehoboth Aids Association (RAA) hence his full time job.
Kasupi says McNab was “volunteeringly” involved in assisting Council with filing, administration and other secretarial functions at Council. She was then appointed because of her “relationship with Council and understanding of Council operations”, according to Kasupi.
Regarding Abrams’ job, the Acting CEO said “the Rehoboth Town Council has created a data–base of unemployed people in Rehoboth.  The idea thereof was to employ labourers and temporary workers on an entry level employment basis.”  - This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it