The Keetmanshoop Town Council last week suspended Secretary Jenny Mungunda and Secretary to the CEO Sylvia Konjore for allegedly refusing to testify in the labour case of their fellow Jegg (Yegg) Christiaan, who is challenging his suspension.

The duo were suspended with pay.

The Council's minutes recommend suspension of Konjore and Mungunda on charges of derivative misconduct or disregarding work-related orders.

Keetmanshoop Town Council acting CEO Lee Mwemba confirmed their suspensions.

"I can confirm indeed that the two staff members in question were suspended last week, so what led to the suspension is that we have an ongoing case against one of our colleagues on one staff member, so the two staff members hold crucial information to that case as they were the first point of contact, so they were supposed to testify in court on what they know, but they refused to testify, therefore council saw it fit and took a decision to suspend the two staff members."

Mwemba says Konjore and Mungunda are both still to be charged, though he did not go further into detail, calling it a house matter for now.

Asked how the officials' refusal to give testimony would impact Christiaan's court case, Mwemba had this to say:

"Well, in that case, I think let's let the courts do the work because, as much as it was going to be nice to see them giving their side of the story, it was not done, so I think the courts are also having their way of dealing with such kinds of cases, so I will just wait to hear how the court pronounces their case."

Christiaan was suspended following a trip to Hoachanas in July last year, which resulted in the blocking of a petrol card belonging to the Council.