Slow hiring frustrates Zambezi education officials
Ministry urges patience
An education official claims that some positions have been vacant for years, with some dating back to 2017.
A wave of discontent is sweeping through the Zambezi region amid what is seen as a chronic failure to appoint school principals and department heads on time, largely blamed on regional administrative delays and Public Service Commission (PSC) backlogs.
An official close to the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, recently claimed that some school management positions have remained vacant since as far back as 2017.
“Some interviews were held up to three times for the same posts, yet appointments were never made,” the source alleged.
“One example is the Greenwell Matongo head of department (HOD) post. Even after successful interviews, the appointment process was allegedly blocked by regional HR officials due to personal preferences.”
The official alleged that in some cases, documentation was either lost or deliberately delayed, while advertisements are often released late.
“HR takes six to seven months to call candidates after closing dates and another three to four months just to forward outcomes,” the source added.
Citing an example, the source referred to principal positions advertised in October 2023 and January 2024 that have mostly remained unfilled.
“Out of 11 advertised posts, only two have been filled. Nakabolelwa and Mavulumba schools, for instance, waited over two years before receiving permanent principals,” the source said.
Tedious
The prolonged acting appointments, often on a three-month renewable basis, were also flagged as a serious concern. “How do you plan strategically in three months? And worse, sometimes no one is appointed to act at all,” the official said.
In a telephone interview earlier this week with Namibian Sun, education minister Sanet Steenkamp acknowledged frustrations but urged understanding of the processes involved.
Steenkamp explained that misalignment between adverts and curriculum requirements sometimes results in PSC rejecting recommended candidates.
“When this happens, the process must restart – re-advertising, re-interviewing. It’s tedious but necessary,” she explained.
Additionally, Steenkamp said regional directors were reminded to improve the accuracy of advertisements and the efficiency of internal processes.
“It’s not about favouritism. There are systems and timelines. A recruitment process must be completed within one year, or else the post is nullified,” she noted.
However, the situation has created a perception of inefficiency and low accountability in the Zambezi education directorate.
“The director needs to take stronger control. HR must do better. We can’t keep schools without leadership for years,” the official urged.
Attempts to reach the regional education director for comment for this article were unsuccessful.
An official close to the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, recently claimed that some school management positions have remained vacant since as far back as 2017.
“Some interviews were held up to three times for the same posts, yet appointments were never made,” the source alleged.
“One example is the Greenwell Matongo head of department (HOD) post. Even after successful interviews, the appointment process was allegedly blocked by regional HR officials due to personal preferences.”
The official alleged that in some cases, documentation was either lost or deliberately delayed, while advertisements are often released late.
“HR takes six to seven months to call candidates after closing dates and another three to four months just to forward outcomes,” the source added.
Citing an example, the source referred to principal positions advertised in October 2023 and January 2024 that have mostly remained unfilled.
“Out of 11 advertised posts, only two have been filled. Nakabolelwa and Mavulumba schools, for instance, waited over two years before receiving permanent principals,” the source said.
Tedious
The prolonged acting appointments, often on a three-month renewable basis, were also flagged as a serious concern. “How do you plan strategically in three months? And worse, sometimes no one is appointed to act at all,” the official said.
In a telephone interview earlier this week with Namibian Sun, education minister Sanet Steenkamp acknowledged frustrations but urged understanding of the processes involved.
Steenkamp explained that misalignment between adverts and curriculum requirements sometimes results in PSC rejecting recommended candidates.
“When this happens, the process must restart – re-advertising, re-interviewing. It’s tedious but necessary,” she explained.
Additionally, Steenkamp said regional directors were reminded to improve the accuracy of advertisements and the efficiency of internal processes.
“It’s not about favouritism. There are systems and timelines. A recruitment process must be completed within one year, or else the post is nullified,” she noted.
However, the situation has created a perception of inefficiency and low accountability in the Zambezi education directorate.
“The director needs to take stronger control. HR must do better. We can’t keep schools without leadership for years,” the official urged.
Attempts to reach the regional education director for comment for this article were unsuccessful.
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