Defence minister Frans Kapofi called on the ministry’s leadership and staff to urgently shift towards self-reliance by using internal skills and resources to resolve challenges.
He demanded that the ministry move away from outsourcing simple tasks, and instead make full use of the expertise already within its ranks.
Kapofi was speaking during the official welcoming ceremony of his deputy Charles Mubita and executive director Annely Haifene on Monday.
“We have engineers. We have architects. We have plumbers. Every profession is found in this ministry. But when a pipe bursts or a road needs fixing, we wait for outside help. Why are we not using what we have? Why must someone in uniform wait to be told to act when the problem and solution are in the same building?” he questioned.
He shared an example from a recent visit to a base in the country, where a broken pipe remained unattended until he personally intervened.
“The issue was resolved the same day – but only after a directive from the minister. That is not how we should operate. We must act with initiative and urgency.
“Waiting for a directive when the answer is obvious shows a failure of responsibility,” Kapofi said.
He made it clear that the days of “business as usual are over”, echoing the marhcing orders of President Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah.
He added that inefficiencies and excuses are unacceptible.
“We are not here to make speeches and sit in air-conditioned offices. We are here to get things done. If fuel delivery takes three months, when it was needed yesterday, something is wrong. We must fix that – not tomorrow, and not next week, but today,” the minister said.
Kapofi responded firmly to criticism from a retired senior military officer, who recently questioned the readiness and professionalism of force.
He dismissed the criticism as unfounded.
“In a circulated message on social media, that person, whom I assume has a basic understanding of army, says our soldiers are cold and drunk on tombos. If he wants war, let him bring it. We are ready, and we are not afraid. The Namibian Defence Force (NDF) is prepared and capable,” he said.
Turning to his new colleagues, he described the NDF as more than an institution.
It is a family, he said.
“You are joining a family of people in uniforms and ties – a family of Namibians committed to service. We are sons and daughters of this motherland. We are here to serve it with dignity,” Kapofi said.
He noted that the NDF has continued to function under difficult circumstances – from the HIV/AIDS epidemic to the Covid-19 pandemic, and from budget cuts to global economic instability.
“Yet we endured. And now, we are moving forward, building up the force, recruiting and training. The foundation is there. We only need to build on it, ” he informed his new colleagues.
Kapofi said he expects Mubita and Haifene to provide hands-on leadership and to be active drivers of the ministry’s strategic goals.
He urged the leadership to expedise plans to improve the well-being of Defence force members, reduce reliance on tents for accommodation and complete the construction of the ministry’s permanent headquarters by 2027.
“This is our opportunity to shape the future of our institution and country. Let us work with urgency. Let us serve with pride. Let us not wait to be told to do what we know must be done,” he emphasised.