Engineers want ministry to implement ruling
The Namibian Society of Engineers (NASE) has written to the works PS, Willem Goeieman, to advise him to take note of a recent court ruling which stated that a five-year agreement signed in 2012 to allow Zimbabwean professionals to work on capital projects in Namibia is of no force.
Judge Shafimana Ueitele ruled that 29 Zimbabwean architects and quantity surveyors had no right to continue working at the Ministry of Works and Transport in terms of an expired memorandum of understanding.
In September this year, Namibian architects and quantity surveyors filed an application in the High Court asking that the 29 Zimbabwean professionals stop work immediately.
In the letter, the group of engineers informed Goeieman that it is therefore imperative to note that any assumption that there currently is a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for expatriates who came in or after 2012 and that they are for some reason not affected by this court decision may be ill-advised.
The engineers also urged the ministry to respect the Labour Act and pointed out that Namibian citizens and permanent residents ought to be prioritised and interviewed first for jobs within in the ministry.
“If no sufficient qualified locals are found, only then can foreign nationals be invited to apply and then interviewed. In the interest of the public as well as that of the state, we strongly advise that now is the right time for the ministry to do the appropriate and legal thing to avoid further and costly court cases such as this one.
“The chapter of the Namibia-Zimbabwe MoU must now be closed in its entirety, it no longer exists.
“Finally, we have also noted that the said expatriates are being interviewed for the engineering, architectural and quantity surveying positions recently advertised by the ministry at the behest of NASE for such positions to be advertised.
“Their applications and interviews are being conducted alongside those of Namibians.”
The letter further pointed out that should the ministry fail to comply with the law, they may have no other choice but to seek relief from the courts on this matter as well.
Goeieman confirmed having received the letter from the engineers and also noted the court ruling but said he was on leave and could not comment on what he planned to do regarding the appointment of technical professionals.
Goeieman recently told Namibian Sun that only about four or five of the 400 architects, quantity surveyors and engineers that had submitted their CVs to the ministry were qualified.
JEMIMA BEUKES
Judge Shafimana Ueitele ruled that 29 Zimbabwean architects and quantity surveyors had no right to continue working at the Ministry of Works and Transport in terms of an expired memorandum of understanding.
In September this year, Namibian architects and quantity surveyors filed an application in the High Court asking that the 29 Zimbabwean professionals stop work immediately.
In the letter, the group of engineers informed Goeieman that it is therefore imperative to note that any assumption that there currently is a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for expatriates who came in or after 2012 and that they are for some reason not affected by this court decision may be ill-advised.
The engineers also urged the ministry to respect the Labour Act and pointed out that Namibian citizens and permanent residents ought to be prioritised and interviewed first for jobs within in the ministry.
“If no sufficient qualified locals are found, only then can foreign nationals be invited to apply and then interviewed. In the interest of the public as well as that of the state, we strongly advise that now is the right time for the ministry to do the appropriate and legal thing to avoid further and costly court cases such as this one.
“The chapter of the Namibia-Zimbabwe MoU must now be closed in its entirety, it no longer exists.
“Finally, we have also noted that the said expatriates are being interviewed for the engineering, architectural and quantity surveying positions recently advertised by the ministry at the behest of NASE for such positions to be advertised.
“Their applications and interviews are being conducted alongside those of Namibians.”
The letter further pointed out that should the ministry fail to comply with the law, they may have no other choice but to seek relief from the courts on this matter as well.
Goeieman confirmed having received the letter from the engineers and also noted the court ruling but said he was on leave and could not comment on what he planned to do regarding the appointment of technical professionals.
Goeieman recently told Namibian Sun that only about four or five of the 400 architects, quantity surveyors and engineers that had submitted their CVs to the ministry were qualified.
JEMIMA BEUKES
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