Deputy Auditor General Goms Menette has called for the immediate dismissal of non-performing Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Chief Regional Officers (CROs), warning that the worsening state of local authorities is directly linked to poor governance and a lack of accountability.
“There is absolutely no improvement. It’s just getting worse for the people. And we really need to find strategies on how the committee can really ensure that there is quite an improvement,” Menette told the Public Accounts and Economy Committee of the National Council during a recent engagement with the Office of the Auditor General.
He said it was no longer acceptable to continue tolerating underperformance at the expense of citizens, noting that persistent financial mismanagement in local authorities is contributing to worsening living conditions.
“We should not really be trying to be nice because it’s not really helping us. People are suffering and unemployment is getting worse, but then it’s because the books are not in order,” Menette said.
The meeting focused on audit reports from various local authorities and regional councils, most of which received adverse, qualified, or disclaimer audit opinions — clear signs of entrenched financial mismanagement.
“We audit every time when we go to an institution, we find that things are just worse and they’re not improving. And that really concerns us as auditors,” Menette said.
According to Menette, only the municipalities of Walvis Bay and Mariental have shown satisfactory financial performance and proper record-keeping.
He blamed the ongoing problems on a systemic failure to enforce accountability, noting that CEOs and CROs are rarely held responsible for their institutions’ poor financial records.
“The system has been designed so that people have not been taken to task. I think that is really what we should probably focus on — finding a way to put in place effective measures that will compel our CEOs to work and deliver. If a CEO is not delivering a clean audit, then he or she must be let go,” he said.
Menette further stressed that public hearings should lead to concrete action and that media participation is essential to bring greater visibility to these issues.
“The next public hearings must be effective. I don’t know whether the media covers all the public hearings, but I think in the future the media should be present to cover all these public hearings,” he added.
The Deputy Auditor General’s remarks come as concerns grow over the financial sustainability and service delivery performance of several local authorities across Namibia.
