KATIMA MULILO - Secretary to Cabinet George Simataa had no kind words for public servants who exhibit a poor work ethic, but applauded some government ministries for performing well. 

In particular, he praised the ministries of health as well as home affairs for their excellent customer service delivery, but said many government ministries, offices and agencies (OMAs) are still lagging behind in terms of customer service, a situation he stressed needs urgent redress. Simataa made these remarks yesterday during the closing ceremony of the four-day 2023 Africa Public Service Day celebrations held at Katima Mulilo. 

The day was celebrated under the theme ‘The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Will Require a Fit-For-Purpose African Public Administration to Succeed”.

He pointed to the fact that although Namibia adopted its Public Service Charter as a national framework consisting of nine principles aimed at improving service delivery, many OMAs still do not adhere to this charter.

“We see many public service charters on the walls. But they are not being used. We should really live up to the public service charter,” he noted.

“You must provide feedback to your customers on time. Even if you don’t have an answer, just confirm receipt of their queries, acknowledge that you received their letter,
and it’s receiving attention,” Simataa
remarked. 

Public servants are guided by the values and principles enshrined in the Namibian Public Service Charter, which was adopted in 1997. 

This, Simataa added, implies that they should serve Namibians and its continental citizens with the utmost integrity. To this
end, the Office of the Prime Minister has
been hard at work entrenching virtuous ethos in the public service of Namibia through various policies and training.

In a speech read on her behalf by trade deputy minister Verna Sinimbo, Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the public service is at the centre of the
success of the AfCFTA. 

“It will rely on the competence and skills of public servants in the member states to achieve its objectives of increasing inter-Africa trade, thereby accelerating
economic development in AU Member States,” she noted.

The PM said some of the key roles that public administration plays towards the AfCFTA’s successes include modernising the public service delivery spheres through innovation and transformation;
simplification and re-engineering of public service processes; harmonisation of services and processes between public services and with other countries; and easing travel between nations. 

“An example is relaxing of visa requirements, and the use of identity documents between neighbouring countries. As public servants, we are expected to possess appropriate capacities and skills to operate the public institutions and systems, and enable the public service to respond to changing dynamics and withstand external shocks,” she noted.

She added that it is important to recognise and applaud health workers and other frontline employees for the important role they played during the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure the protection of lives and continuous provision of critical services, both in the public and private sectors. 

The public service of Namibia gave awards for the first time this year as a starter, while proper mechanisms are under consideration for fully-fledged awards and recognitions during the next celebration in 2024.

The auditor general’s office and the Erongo Regional Council collectively scooped the honours in the category for implementing the best customer service charter.

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, therefore, encouraged all public sector institutions to institutionalise effective mechanisms for good governance, performance and compliance in preparation for the next Africa Public Service Day celebration and awards. 

-anakale@nepc.com.na