In 2017, then minister of labour Erkki Nghimtina strongly criticised one of the multi-national retailers in Namibia for having exploitative tactics that undermined the job security of their over 4 300 workers.
Eight years before that – in 2009 – then President Hifikepunye Pohamba maintained that job security is related to productivity and that with the latter, enterprises grow and offer greater job security and better conditions of service.
Such is the importance of job security in Namibia that our subject for this week, the Lubango-born Tulimo Frans, decided to stick with the civil service – against all odds. This is because the benefits clearly outweigh whatever odds there are.
Frans is an officer in the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism’s directorate of parks. She is responsible for an array of work that includes filing, answering phone calls, emailing and maintaining records while always exuding a sense of professionalism and a polite disposition.
Born during the liberation struggle of Namibia to Frans Daniel and Hendrina in Lubango, she completed her secondary education in Windhoek and is now pursuing a degree in Business Management.
“In 1989, me and my mom, together with my two sisters, came to Namibia. I joined the public service on 4 January 2010. Before that, I was a kindergarten teacher and a hairdresser,” she told this newspaper this week.
Why the civil service?
Says Frans: “The reason I joined the public service was for the job security that comes with it. Well, I also considered the paycheque and career opportunities and other benefits that come with being a public servant.”
Frans does not mince her words when she stresses that working for the government was not at all her dream job, but as a single mother, this was an opportunity of a lifetime.
In her own words, the most challenging part about her work is serving the masses, both young and old, and having to deliver and always putting a cheerful smile on her face, even during her bad days. All thanks to her best days, she has managed to maintain her sanity. But this can be attributed to the job satisfaction that is packaged within.
“What is most satisfying about my job is the stability. All I need is to give my best, meet the expectations of my employers, and further develop myself,” Frans maintains, adding that she has the right to her leave days and to see her loved ones.
Like many greats who have flourished in many work environments, Frans is open about her love for the government’s human resources system.
“My work environment greatly influences how I feel about my job. My employer fosters a positive atmosphere, and encourages me to be consistent in what I do. We have sports events, where we get to travel and socialise with other colleagues in other regions, and get to know more about their areas. This motivates me more into growing within the ministry,” she says in applause to the government’s team-building exercises.
Queried about her most memorable moments, Frans says getting to know her colleagues who most often leave before they can form a bond serves as the most nostalgic moments in her life at work.
Also, being afraid of nature and knowing that you have people to count on is worthwhile, she adds.
Queried on her meteoric rise, Frans reveals that within the ministry, she was encouraged by her colleagues and supervisors to pursue life while it is hot and was motivated to improve herself, which she is working on.
“Since then, I have accomplished a few things. I managed to get my driver’s licence and improved on my studies, which have improved my life within the ministry and still continue to do so,” she reveals.
On the misconception that people working in public institutions are unproductive and inefficient, she completely disagrees, citing that as is the case everywhere else, people will always find rotten potatoes, but does not define the entire civil service.
“It is just that public servants are serving the whole nation, not a small private area where service delivery is on point without wasting time,” she reiterates.
She encourages the masses to be more patient as there is an improvement, especially in the wake of new technologies.
“Since technology is advancing and most of our public offices have moved to online service delivery, for example, the ministry of home affairs and many more ministries, people don’t have to wait for long hours anymore. This work is being done by a public servant,” she beams.
“It is high time that we as a nation give credit where it’s due so that we encourage even the rotten potatoes to deliver. This is in order to put our country on the map. We all are responsible to contribute to this service given to us,” she states.