Not many people can boast about having worked for the same employer since day one, and still being at it. For Kondjeni Tjilale, the human resources division in the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture is a home away from home – having served in the same division since 1995.
He is the chief human resources practitioner assigned to the teaching service committee’s secretariat.
“When I joined the ministry as an assistant personnel officer, I was fresh out of high school. I was later promoted to the position of Personnel Officer, before becoming a senior HR officer and eventually my current position in 2001,” Tjilale revealed, visibly proud of his professional growth trajectory.
Joining the public service to him was a matter of pride. The country just got its independence from apartheid South Africa, and it was the dream of every young Namibian at that time to be a part of the new administration.
“Joining government was the patriotic thing to do. Also, our parents at that time motivated us to join the civil workforce as that was seen as one of the greatest contributions to nation-building,” Tjilale said, noting that since his first day at work, he has never wished for a better employer.
As the chief HR practitioner, his work requires him to read and interpret the practical applications of rules and regulations in education and the teaching service, especially regarding the appointments, transfers and promotions of teachers, heads of department, principals, education officers and inspectors of education.
“I also assist and advise the teaching service committee on matters pertaining to education and the teaching service as is contained in the Education Act, as well as senior staff members in the ministry” he added.
His work, however, is not without its share of challenges, and Tjilale said this partly has to do with people refusing to comply with rules and regulations.
“It becomes very problematic when certain sections of the workforce refuse to be in compliance with set rules, as this disrupts the entire systems and workflow,” he stressed. Another cause of concern is the delay that occurs with regards to the filling of teaching positions at schools. That, and the selective interpretation of rules.
“Having a school where learners do not have teachers defeats the whole reason behind why we have schools in the first place,” Tjilale observed.
Be that as it may, he is more than motivated every morning to go to work because of the positive impact that his ministry has on the lives of young people and the nation at large.
“Seeing young people graduating and making a success of their lives reminds me every day of the critical role education plays in moulding our societies, and being one of the players in this field fills me with joy,” Tjilale said.
Having worked for the government for as long as he has also comes with some rewards, as it has enabled him to benefit greatly through workshops and conferences.
One such conference introduced him to the use of social media applications in his day-to-day activities – an attribute that he previously took for granted.
“This conference broke down the importance of HR and social media, and how the two can be merged in order to promote effective communications at the workplace,” he added.
Queried as to why it is important for new graduates to pursue careers in the public service, the senior official did not stutter.
Said Tjilale; “Working for the government should not only be seen as a means for one to earn a salary. It should not only be income-driven, but should also be inspired by a deep sense of patriotism.”
“To me, it is more about putting a smile on someone’s face than anything else,” he continued.
Queried on the prevalent perception that civil servants are largely ineffective and not committed to service delivery, Tjilale was forthright.
“Speaking from experience, I must admit that there is some truth to this perception. Namibians are not big on initiative, and like to be supervised. It all boils down to supervision, delegation and accountability,” he said, maintaining that as it stands, it is difficult for the ministry to implement a performance management system (PMS) for teachers, for example.
“It comes across as if the PMS was created for the management cadres rather than the teachers, who are the majority,” he added.
His wish for the country’s education system is for each school to be manned by properly-trained and qualified teachers who are well-versed on the topics that they teach, especially in the junior primary phase, where the medium of instruction plays a critical role as it is the foundation of teaching and learning.
As passionate as he is about his work, Tjilale revealed that he is working on his exit strategy.
“Because of the high unemployment situation in the country, I want to retire in the next three years or so in order to give a chance for new blood to get into my position,” he noted.