Windhoek Councillors S&T Guided Secret

■ By Kaipaherue Kandjii

 The City of Windhoek’s manager of corporate communications, Haroldt Akwenye, said they cannot disclose how much councillors get in S&T because it is confidential.

Akwenye told Confidente that although he agrees that such disclosure is a matter of immense public interest, they will not disclose it to anyone.

“The remuneration and subsistence and travel (S&T) allowances of our councillors, we would like to inform you that matters concerning the remuneration and S&T of councillors are treated with confidentiality. “However, we understand the importance of transparency and accountability in the public’s interest. Unfortunately, we cannot provide a breakdown of the councillors’ earnings in subsistence and travel allowances for the last two years as this information is confidential,” said Akwenye on Tuesday.

Akwenye defended the payments, saying councillors earn money based on ‘established policies and guidelines for councillors

remuneration and S&T, which are determined independently of the budgetary constraints related to other municipal projects In addition, he refused to indicate the budget set aside for the S&T of councillors this year, saying it’s also a secret.

“Due to the confidentiality surrounding remuneration matters, specific details cannot be disclosed about the budget for S&T claims in the current financial year. We understand your desire for timely information and assure you that we take all inquiries seriously,” he said. 

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