Defence minister Frans Kapofi has categorically refuted allegations by a Popular Democratic Movement parliamentarian that only those who offer sex to high-ranking navy officials are promoted.

Responding to PDM’s Johannes Martin, Kapofi said the navy, or the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) in general, is an institution that operates on a strict disciplinary code, a clear chain of command with well-defined structures, procedures and processes.

“Such statement attributed to our female sailors is derogatory and deserve condemnation. Those naval female officers are professional people serving their country with pride and are not sex objects of whomsoever,” Kapofi said in parliament last week.  Outlining the criteria used to promote navy staff, Kapofi said a selection board is always instituted with the principal role to nominate and shortlist eligible candidates for promotion, and subsequently make recommendations to the navy commander for approval. 

“In its considerations, the board looks at matters such as seniority, merit and discipline,” Kapofi told lawmakers.

He said the NDF has systems in place dealing with issues of promotions, as such, processes in this regard are followed to the latter. Therefore, Kapofi said insinuations that members are not promoted on merit are not factual and its intention is nothing but malice. 

Kapofi also denied that only men are promoted, saying sections look at the gender balance of the number of promotions. 

“We are however making sure that our female members who deserve to be promoted are earning those promotions and in line with our guidelines,” Kapofi said. 

Breaking down recent navy promotions to fellow MPs, the minister said out of the 160 members of the navy that have thus far been promoted in 2022, only 11 were from the navy headquarters. Of those, 133 are men and 27 were women. 

He said in 2017, a total of 14 members of the navy were promoted, of which 10 were men, while four were women. In 2018, 389 were promoted, of which 323 were males while 66 were females.

Similarly, Kapofi said eight members of the navy were promoted in 2019, of which six were males and two were females while in 2020, 264 navy personnel were promoted, of which 222 were males and 42 were females. 

In 2021, Kapofi said 26 members of the navy were promoted, of which 19 were males while seven were females. 

ktjitemisa@nepc.com.na