By Staff Reporter
The financial management of Oshikuku Town Council has come under intense scrutiny after a public accounts committee (PAC) hearing raised questions about the council’s leadership, financial controls and continued reliance on a retired official to oversee its finances.
The scrutiny follows an adverse audit opinion on the council’s financial management, with revelations at the public hearing placing the spot- light on the qualifications and continued employment of manager: finance, human resources and administration, Filippus Angula.
According to information presented during the hearing, Angula has been responsible for the council’s finance function for nearly 19 years despite reportedly having no formal qualification in finance or a finance-related academic background.
The revelation has raised questions about how a key financial management position could be occupied for almost two decades without the official holding the professional qualifications normally associated with such responsibilities.
Angula retired in January 2026 but was subsequently retained by the council as Manager: Finance, HR and Administration.
His initial three-month extension reportedly covered April to June 2026.
The council then approved a further three-month extension running from July to September 2026, with the recruitment of his replacement reportedly still incomplete.
The arrangement has now placed the council under renewed scrutiny over whether the continued retention of a retired official is justified, particularly against the backdrop of an adverse audit opinion.
The central question is not merely why Angula was retained after retirement, but whether the council has adequate financial governance systems in place to ensure that public funds are managed by suitably qualified and accountable officials.
The PAC hearing also raises broader questions about the council’s recruitment and succession planning.
If the recruitment process for a replacement remains unfinished months after Angula’s retirement, questions arise over whether the council anticipated the departure of a long-serving finance official and made adequate preparations to ensure a smooth transition.
The developments have also fuelled wider public debate about the standards applied when municipalities and town councils appoint or retain officials in critical positions.
Financial management is at the heart of any local authority.
Councils are entrusted with public money, and weaknesses in financial controls can have direct consequences for service delivery, infrastructure development and public confidence.
The Oshikuku case therefore puts the council’s leadership under pressure to explain how its financial management structure has operated over the years, what qualifications were required for the position, and what corrective measures are being taken following the adverse audit opinion.
The council will also have to account for the circumstances surrounding Angula’s continued appointment and explain why the recruitment of his replacement has not yet been concluded.
For the PAC, the issue goes beyond one official.
It raises a fundamental question about whether Namibia’s local authorities are sufficiently equipped and governed to protect public resources and deliver services to communities.
With Oshikuku’s financial management now firmly under the parliamentary microscope, the council’s next explanations could determine whether the controversy ends with the recruitment of a qualified replacement or opens a much deeper examination of how the council has managed its finances over nearly two decades.
