The Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Erastus Uutoni, has ordered the Outjo Municipality to re-advertise for the position of Chief Executive Officer.

This follows allegations of irregularities and an alleged flawed interview process last year.

The municipality has been without a CEO since April last year after Josel |Urib retired. 

|Urib's contract was extended but abruptly cancelled in August last year.

Landless People's Movement Chief Change Campaigner Bernadus Swartbooi has called on the Outjo Municipality to let go of its Chief Executive Officer, Josef |Urib.

Swartbooi made this call during a media conference in Outjo.

Last December, the Outjo Council took the decision that Josef |Urib, who served as the Outjo Municipality's Chief Executive Officer since 1999 until last year, should resign.

He was given an extension until this year's April; however, he's still in office.

The Outjo Municipality is expanding the existing open market to accommodate more vendors who usually sell on the sidewalks.

Outjo is a town of more than six thousand inhabitants and is best known as the main gateway to one of Africa's largest national parks, Etosha.

The town receives an increasing number of visitors on a daily basis.

The sidewalks are, however, filled with vendors, making it difficult for them to serve their purpose of keeping people off the roads.

The Outjo Municipality has drilled three more boreholes in an effort to address the water shortage in the town.

For the past four years, the underground water in Outjo has been going down as a result of subduction.

"It's a natural process that takes place underground, which can be because of weathering, chemical, biological, or physical, and they are still getting water, but sometimes we have to close so that the water can be opened in intervals so that they can at least get water," said Outjo Mayor Johannes Bapello.

The Kunene Regional Council raised over N$500 thousand towards the regional development fund at a dinner in Outjo. 

The Kunene Regional Development Fund was established 15 years ago with the purpose to solicit funds for learners in the Kunene Region who are from poor households.  

The fund financed 83 youths since its inception at a cost of N$285 thousand. 

Speaking at the dinner, the Chairperson of the Kunene Regional Council's Management Committee, Hendrik Gaobaeb said they aim to solicit more finances by initiating various fundraising activities.

A delay in the approval to effect salary increases for workers of the Outjo Municipality by the Minister of Urban and Rural Development has resulted in them taking to the streets to voice their displeasure.

On behalf of the workers, the Namibia Local Authority Workers Union is demanding answers as to why it is taking so long to approve the increase despite successful wage negotiations.

The union representative, Maleagi Iilonga, says the delay in approving the five percent increment is an infringement of the workers' rights, most of whom earn less than N$5,000.