The final huddle in the appointment of a substantive Chief Executive Officer for the City of Windhoek now rests with Roads Authority CEO Conrad Lutombi, who will now decide whether to accept or decline the offer from the municipality.
If he accepts, Lutombi will be appointed as City of Windhoek CEO, thereby succeeding Robert Kahimise who resigned in November 2020. Whereas if he declines, it is not clear whether the second best performer during the interview process – Otjiwarongo Municipality CEO Moses Matyayi – will be offered the job or the recruitment process will be restarted.
“After the offer, he will decide whether he will take it or not, that’s basically it,“ the Windhoek municipality’s spokesperson, Lydia Amutenya, told The Brief.
Quizzed on whether an offer had already been submitted, she said, “I am not sure.”
Lutombi scored highest during the interview process for the top position and the municipality endorsed his appointment last month, with Minister of Urban and Rural Development Erastus Uutoni having approved his appointment, in line with the requirements of the Local Authorities Act.
George Mayumbelo is the acting CEO after having been reappointed this month.
Mayumbelo, who serves as the Strategic Executive for the Human Capital and Corporate Services Department, took over from O’Brien Hekandjo who was acting CEO from 16 August 2022 until 8 November 2022.
Fifty-nine candidates tendered their applications for the city’s top job, the shortlisted five candidates publicly presented their motivations in September last year, with Matyayi and Lutombi shortlisted alongside Deputy Executive Director at the Ministry of Works and Transport Joyce Mukubi, Chief Business Unit Executive at NamWater Eino Mvula, and a researcher Charmill Zamuee.
