PSC targets negligent officials’ pockets

The Public Service Commission (PSC) wants government officials to be held personally liable for financial losses caused by negligence.The commission warned that taxpayers are footing the bill for costly legal battles stemming from administrative failures, including wrongful human resources decisions, poor management and unprofessional conduct.PSC commissioner Hâbatte Doëses said government has faced multiple “serious” lawsuits due to “wrong and mistreatment of HR decisions, which is causing losses to the state”.She said proper leadership and management could have prevented these cases.Speaking during a stakeholder engagement between the commission and the Kavango East Regional Council on Monday, Doëses said the PSC wants to “invoke Section 11 of the State Finance Act so that people will be held personally accountable for the losses to the state”.Section 11 of the Act provides for accounting officers or the treasury to order individuals to repay the state for losses, damage or fruitless expenditure resulting from failures to perform their duties properly.Where payment is not made within 30 days, the amount may be recovered through salary deductions or legal proceedings, depending on the circumstances.Use public funds wiselyDoëses said the state has to stop absorbing the financial consequences of decisions made by officials when they fail to carry out their responsibilities properly.Doëses stressed the need for responsible financial management, arguing that government spending on salaries and operational costs made it essential to ensure that public funds were used effectively.She described government as the country’s largest employer and said public service leadership should ensure value for money and tangible returns for the state.PSC chairperson ambassador Patrick Nandago said the stakeholder engagements aim to address concerns that were raised at a human resources conference.“We decided to undertake these missions to come and explain the functions, the responsibility, the role of the political leaders, and the role of the managers,” he said.Discussions at the conference highlighted challenges at both ministerial and regional levels, prompting the commission to engage public institutions directly on the respective roles and responsibilities of political leaders and public service managers.Nandago said the engagements aimed to strengthen cooperation and ensure that officials understood the boundaries of their respective responsibilities.During the engagement, Rundu Rural constituency councillor Paulus Mbangu welcomed the proposal to hold individuals personally accountable for losses suffered by the state, saying councils were sometimes left to cover costs arising from negligence.“We welcome the initiative of individuals being held personally accountable,” Mbangu said.

PSC targets negligent officials’ pockets

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-21

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PSC targets negligent officials’ pockets

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-21

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