JOHANNA Ileka-Nangolo is a committed civil servant and a control administrative officer at the Oranjemund Constituency office. As a proud Namibian with a passion for serving others, Ileka- Nangolo’s commitment is driven by the desire to make the lives of the masses easier and making an impact in communities.

“Seeing a client leave our office with a smile and the assurance from the community that they can always rely on us is satisfying,” she said. Ileka-Nangolo is currently heading the administration of the office and is also the administrative assistant to the constituency councillor. She is a Jack of all trades as her daily activities range from executing tasks in line with the regional annual plan; executing the councillor’s plans through the writing of submissions and letters; attending to community complaints and queries on various socio-economic issues, dominated by labour-related cases; and housing.

“The absence of some ministerial bodies/institutions in the constituency basically makes our office a Jack of all trades. When faced with challenges they are not able to resolve, community members come to our office, and we refer them to the right offices or intervene where possible,” she said.

Childhood journey 

“I’m an ‘Ouma child’. I was raised by my grandmother in a small village called Ozizi in the Oshana region, where I attended my lower primary education, before moving to Lüderitz at the age of nine to continue my education at Diaz Primary School. I spent the rest of my school life in Lüderitz and only left for university in 2007,” she said.

Ileka-Nangolo is a public relat ions pract i t ioner by profession and holds a Diploma in Public Relations, and an honours degree in Media Studies, with a major in Industrial Psychology, both obtained from the University of Namibia.

Ileka-Nangolo says she is inspired by her mother who has a quest for continued learning and obtained a Diploma in Early Childhood Education at the age of 54. Currently, Iikela-Nangolo is pursuing a degree in Human Resources Management with NUST through distance mode.

Joining public service Ileka-Nangolo is not new to the public service, as her journey in the public service started in 2013, shortly after graduating. “I started as an administrator/ assistant in the Mayor’s Office at Lüderitz Town Council, and was later promoted to Public Relations Officer,” she said.

Before joining the public service, she worked for 99FM as an Assistant News Producer, where she did her internship, and was fortunate to be taken in permanently. However, according to her, the high cost of living in Windhoek forced her to look for a job closer to home, and that’s how she ended up in the public sector.

Asked why she decided to join the public service and whether it was her dream to work for the government, Ileka-Nangolo had this to say: “Frankly, landing a job in public service wasn’t by choice but more for survival. The eldest of four children, I felt obliged to provide for my siblings and meet my parents halfway, and at the time, the government was the only available option for me to get a job in my hometown. My dream was to stay in the private sector and establish myself in the communications industry, but unfortunately, passion does not always put bread on the table. But I must say I do not regret my decision to become a public servant”. 

There is no job without challenges and according to Ileka-Nangolo serving two officers is always a challenge. “My direct supervisor is an administrative deputy director, based at our head office in Keetmanshoop, but then there’s the regional councillor, who is the head of the Constituency, voted for by the people. Now, imagine a scenario where your supervisor expects you to follow the policies/guidelines, and on the other hand, the regional councillor also expects you to carry out his mandate and satisfy the people who voted him into office. It’s mostly a catch-22 situation, but in the end, we make it work,” she said.

She however maintains that having experience in both local and regional government settings put her at an advantage because she has a fair understanding of the operations of both tiers of government. “I am able to give valuable advice to my regional councillor, and equally understand his mandate/modus operandi,” Ileka-Nangolo said.

She further said: “I have a long list of proud moments, but what I find most memorable is the restoration of hope in our clients through efficient and innovative service delivery. In 2022, our office pioneered the issuing of gift/shopping vouchers to the vulnerable members of our society, and it was satisfying to see other offices following suit”.

Until such a time that she is satisfied with her contributions t o w a r d s g o v e r n m e n t programmes, Ileka-Nangolo is not planning to exit the public service any time soon.

While she indicates her plans to continue studying, Ileka- Nangolo’s biggest wish is to be in a position where she can positively influence public policy.

-lnashuuta@gmail.com