Parliament is an incredibly complicated beast – and while the members of parliament are happy to turn up and debate, someone must make it all run smoothly and ensure that the organ of state achieves its goals.

Gracious Mwiya, a parliamentary clerk under the committee services division, is part of the team that is responsible and dedicated to ushering support to members of parliament at the committee level to be able to move their motions, table bills, advocate positions and argue their cases. 

Mwiya is a jack of all trades, who plays a vital role in ensuring every parliament session goes as smoothly as possible.

Mwiya joined the National Assembly in 2020 as a learning and development officer, responsible for the training needs of the institution.

“When I started working for parliament, my role was to assess the training needs of the institution and offer training where we can – and where we can’t, the division has to outsource the expertise to fill the void in terms of skills and expertise,” she said. 

In 2022, she was elevated from learning and development officer to parliamentary clerk, which falls under the division of committee services. 

Mwiya is currently serving as a secretariat for two standing committees, one being the Public Accounts Committee as well as the Information and Communication Technology Committee.

“It is an interesting job with two main parts,” Mwinya said. 

“One is, you’re the parliament’s standing committee adviser on parliamentary law and procedure – and on the other hand, you run the administration and logistics of the committees.

“At the moment, parliament has a system, the Western kind of system where we have members of parliament convene and debate motions, petitions and bills in the house. Within the parliament chamber, there are also backbenchers who are divided into committees. The committees are responsible for monitoring and overseeing the work and enquiring into and making recommendations relating to any aspect of the legislative programme over the executives, and that’s where I am employed,” she said.

Her job ranges from minute taking, report writing and offering logistical and administrative support to the committee, setting up meetings, setting up agenda as well as offering parliamentary advice in terms of procedures in parliament to the committee.

“Sometimes, when it is necessary, I accompany the standing committee and members of parliament in their local and international oversight missions, such as visits to the regions or when attending conferences elsewhere outside the country.  

Mwiya matriculated from the Hage Geingob Secondary School in Windhoek.

She joined the public service in 2012 as an English teacher as a graduate of the University of Namibia, with an honour’s degree in education secondary education, majoring in Biology and English. She worked as a teacher for about seven years before joining parliament. 

When asked what attracted her to the public service, Mwiya said, “What I like most about working for the government is the flexibility of my work contract in the sense that you can accommodate other needs, such as provision for emergency leave. Also, the benefit that comes with numeration package, pension schemes, the medical aid coverage that covers the whole family and just getting to serve your country and giving back to the community,” she asserted.

Mwiya, however, admitted that there is a sort of work overload that, in some cases, she must work until late. 

Parliament is too busy, but on the other hand, parliament presents an opportunity for professional growth in terms of gaining experience. 

She also points out that as a mother of two, travelling out of the country on parliamentary missions when she has little ones who need her care is another challenge.

However, Mwiya said what is satisfying about her work is the fact that she gets to be exposed to various issues locally and internationally. 

“Being a public servant at parliament, I managed to acquire skills, especially administrative skills that were not in line with my profession, but I have managed to come on par with what the job requires,” she said.

Asked for her take on the public perception that civil servants in public institutions are unproductive and inefficient, Mwiya said, “I grew up hearing the sentiments from people that are not directly working for the government that nurses at the hospital are slow, people in the offices are lazy and so many negative things about the public servants – and at some point, I thought it is true, but after I joined the public servant I came to realise that public servants are not lazy. 

“They do a lot of work, put in their time and efforts, and bring lots of contributions to the table into making the country one of the best countries in the world. Of course, there are hiccups here and there, and a few things that need to be ironed out – but just to generalise that public servants are inefficient, that I don’t agree with,” she said.

Mwiya confessed that she is planning to serve the government for a while but not until retirement. 

My wish list personally and professionally is not to stay at one time for a long time but to give the opportunity to another young person to gain that knowledge and get work experience in public service.