Lahja Nashuuta

One glance at Serinna Stephanus presents an enigmatic yet extroverted individual, a fascinating sight. 

Yet, as she delves into conversation with ease even though every response is audibly carefully thought through and well crafted, one cannot help but be in awe at this insightful civil servant. 

Stephanus is the Private Secretary to the Director of Administration and General Services at the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare (MGEPESW). 

While conversing with her, it became clearer why the former minister of poverty eradication and social welfare, Dr Zephania Kameeta, personally headhunted her for the same position, back in 2015.   

“I joined the civil service in 2015, as a Senior Private Secretary to Bishop Kameeta during his time at the helm of the then poverty eradication and social welfare ministry. He practically headhunted me from the same position at the Women Action for Development (WAD),” Stephanus revealed, adding that before his ministerial role, Kameeta was a board member at the organisation. 

Her contract at the poverty eradication and social welfare ministry ended in 2020 and on 1 June 2021 she was appointed in her current position. 

Stephanus, born in Arandis and grew up in Windhoek is a go-getter, backed up with her pursuit of academic excellence.

“I graduated from the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) in 2019 with a Bachelor’s degree in Office Management and Technology,” she revealed but conceded that this was not her first attempt at mastering the books. 

“After matriculating at P.K de Villiers High School in Keetmanshoop, in 2004, I was admitted for a marketing qualification at the then Polytechnic of Namibia, but I had to drop out during the second year due to financial constraints,” she said, in a clear testament that even though life throws some spanners in the works to derail one’s progress, perseverance does pay off eventually. 

Before her matriculation, Stephanus attended the People’s Primary School before proceeding to the Goreangab Junior Secondary School. She credits her parents for her upbringing. 

Why Govt?

While many government employees attribute joining the civil service to favourable benefits, 

Stephanus was inspired by a man of the cloth, Bishop Zephania Kameeta.

“I saw an opportunity to work with Bishop Kameeta and I knew that I had to take it,” Stephanus maintained further, adding that at the time of her appointment as Kameeta’s senior private secretary, she also received a concurrent job offer at the MTC. 

Stephanus said she was drawn by Kameeta’s knowledge and humanity. 

“Even though I saw him at the WAD board meetings, he did not talk much, but the few encounters that we had left a lasting impression on me. We soon built a good working relationship and having read about him I felt honoured by the job offer,” she said.

Rewarding 

Stephanus was quick to reveal that her aptitude of being naturally observant, analytical, and somewhat disciplined has made it easy for her to ease into her appointment as the director’s private secretary. 

“In this job, one needs to maintain order and discipline, manage time, and also, dealing with different individuals from different walks of life requires one to have good interpersonal and communication skills, which I think I picked up from having spent a lot of time with previous employers,” she said. 

Her job, she says, entails running the office of the director, setting up meetings, writing minutes, handling incoming and outgoing correspondence, etcetera.

“We do the donkey work in this directorate, having three divisions that fall directly under us. These are the finance, human resources, and general services divisions, all of which are headed by deputy directors who report to my boss,” she said, adding that her directorate is thus responsible for procurement, budgeting, recruitment, and maintenance amongst other responsibilities. 

Be that as it may, Stephanus describes her job as very rewarding and a day spent at work as unparalleled in terms of job satisfaction.

“What makes me come back to work everyday is the little difference that I make in peoples’ lives towards the achievement of the overall ministerial goal… As much as people say that civil servants do not work, I disagree with them because I see the work that my colleagues do. 

All set quarterly targets are met by at least 75% if not 100. This also motivates me as I feel like a key player surrounded by a good team and a great boss,” Stephanus said, adding that “it feels like one big happy family”.

Challenges

Every job comes with its set of challenges and the civil service is no exception. Stephanus is particularly irked by the constant budgetary constraints that sometimes serve as limiting factors to the attainment of ministerial targets.

“Also, we have challenges with capital projects that are often not completed on time. The filling of approved positions within the structure and the lack of office space to accommodate the staff members,” she said.

Staying put

Stephanus did not mince her words when she stated that she was not planning to leave the civil service anytime soon. She enjoys the job security that comes with her job, as well as the opportunities to further her studies. 

She is however adamant that she will retire five years before her retirement age to pursue her farming interest while still strong.     

-lnashuuta@gmail.com