Newly elected Mayor of Grootfontein, Moritz Gaingob, has revealed that the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer for the town will happen before May 2026.

The position has been vacant since the departure of former CEO Kisco Sinvula in 2023.

In an interview with Nampa, Gaingob said the council resolved on Monday to prioritise the appointment of a substantive CEO, as the official plays a key role in assisting with the implementation of council resolutions and decisions taken at meetings.

The new mayor said that on 20 January 2026, the council wrote to the Office of the Minister of Urban and Rural Development to enquire about the progress of the appointment, as the previous council had conducted interviews for the position and recommended a candidate to the minister in October 2025.

The mayor said the name of the only candidate who met the requirements for the job was submitted to the minister's office.

Gaingob added that a senior municipal official, Indileni Lungameni, has been serving as acting CEO since 2023.

Other newly elected Grootfontein local authority councillors who will serve alongside Gaingob for the next five years are Casuis Namaseb, chairperson of the management committee; Josef Ausiku; Deon van Blerk; Bernadine Nangolo; Cleophas Kamukuiju; and Susanna Schwartz.