New Era Newspaper

New Era Epaper
Icon Collap
...
Home / Know your civil servant - Manzila defies all stereotypes…as she takes on a predominantly male field with zeal and grace

Know your civil servant - Manzila defies all stereotypes…as she takes on a predominantly male field with zeal and grace

2022-05-06  Staff Reporter

Know your civil servant - Manzila defies all stereotypes…as she takes on a predominantly male field with zeal and grace

While some gendered jobs are rooted in stereotypes – like women as bank tellers and men in engineering – one Charity Manzila is defying that norm and even took it a notch further by poking her fingers in electrical plugs and dealing with power failures.

As the electrical artisan at the Ministry of Works and Transport in Windhoek, Manzila has come to represent a new trend in the employment sector, one that speaks to the fact that gender lines are gradually blurring, with positions in previously male-dominated fields increasingly being filled by females – and vice versa.

Suffice to say that the Namibian citizen, born of a Zambian father and Namibian mother, is a no chancer, having obtained an Advanced Technical Diploma Electrical from the Northern Technical College in Zambia. 

She also holds a Teacher’s Technical Diploma from the University of Zambia.

“I joined the public service on 2 December 2011,” she revealed, adding that before joining the public sector, she worked as a lecturer at the Monitronics Success College, where she specialised in Electrical Theory and Mathematics.

Adding to the weight of her responsibilities is the fact that her department is responsible for the maintenance of all government buildings, including schools, old age homes, government flats and ministerial buildings – to mention a few.

“As an artisan, I attend to electrical problems that are reported to our department. I deal with power failures as well as electrical repairs and installations,” Manzila said.

While every job comes with a set of challenges, the seemingly goal-driven Manzila focuses primarily on the rewards that come with the package.

“When I get to attend to critical situations, for instance, a power failure that lasted for days and I get to solve it, it gives me joy.”

Queried on what she finds most satisfying about her job, Manzila again taps into her sentimental side, simply maintaining that she derives joy from the mere fact that she has managed to make the world a better place when she was needed the most.

“Being able to help and solve electrical problems, especially at critical places, and when immediate intervention was needed gives me great satisfaction,” she revealed.

In a world where electricity has become the primary source of power, her expertise, zeal and composure are of utmost importance, and she makes no secret of it.

“It is very beneficial. I add value to my department – with my problem-solving ability – to rectify issues pertaining to my work,” she maintains.

When asked about the perception that civil servants are largely unproductive and inefficient, Mazila expressed her serious disagreement.

“I do not agree with that statement. It is a stereotype. Personally, I have strived through the years to do and be the best at what I do. Every job given is done efficiently and effectively,” she states.

With her commitment to the public sector, seemingly, far from wearing out, Manzila confidently revealed that only time will tell as to how long she will stay in government.

“As for now, I am serving and working effectively to achieve my every goal.”

But, like every person with professional goals, she adds, “I wish to advance in my career, gain more knowledge and mastery,” before uttering the very important ones, “and of course, good health and longevity”.

Manzila’s stance and career goals, which defy pop culture and its influence in propagating occupational stereotypes, have been commented on by various occupational specialists in recent years. 

Some have it that while gendered jobs are on the decline, the stereotypes remain. 

However, with relentless professionals like her on the go, a paradigm shift among employers, employees and students alike can be guaranteed.


2022-05-06  Staff Reporter

Share on social media