Prime minister axes over 20 govt staff across ministries

Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare has described letting staff go and approving demotions in key ministries for various transgressions as one of the toughest aspects of his time in office so far.

Namibian Sun understands that around 18 people, mainly from the ministries of education, health and agriculture, were affected.

These included two from the information ministry and one each from the ministries of environment, works and home affairs, as well as a staff member located in the Hardap region.

Two were demoted and more dismissals are expected.

“We have and are addressing the bottlenecks, including holding accountable those in the public service impeding service delivery," the prime minister told parliament on Tuesday.

"Other ministries are encouraged to institute similar disciplinary procedures should it be found that there are public servants committing acts contrary to our national aspirations for service delivery,” he added.

“The same is true for those who are awarded tenders and are not performing according to agreed timelines or abandoning sites. Accountability will be the norm on our part."

Duty to the people

Ngurare reminded MPs of their crucial role in overseeing government operations.

“We must synchronise our silo execution into one compartment of service delivery as 'one government", he said.

"As I have said before, from the top to the bottom, from the bottom to the top, our voice and our action must be one. The left hand must always know what the right hand is doing. That alignment is very crucial if we are to succeed.”

The prime minister said the Sixth National Development Plan provides a clear roadmap.

“The ladders that we have to use to reach the top are the five-year strategic plans, annual plans, and annual procurement plans," he said.

Ngurare added that the integrity of procurement processes is vital, especially under the Public Procurement, Anti-Corruption, and State Finance Acts.

"These are the laws passed by this August House. Here is where your oversight role becomes crucial, not only in relation to these Acts but also to other laws we have to pass here,” he said.

Do your job

He urged officials to take their obligations seriously.

“Let us see it in schools, hospitals, clinics, rural development, informal settlements, rural feeder roads, rural electrification, and in the provision of water and sanitation. Let us see it in inclusive development and shared prosperity for all. Together, we can make Namibia rise and shine."

He emphasised that by moving beyond the silo mentality, "we can marshal the resources we need and create complementing synergies to make Namibia a success story, which we must".

He added: "That is what 3.1 million Namibians out there want us to do, not cheap political point-scoring, which for some here seems to be their only joy in this August House."

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