By :Justicia Shipena
The number of public servants stands at approximately 71 305, according to the Public Service Commission’s (PSC) latest statistics.
The statistics were contained in the annual report for the financial year 2021/22 unveiled by the PSC chairperson Salmaan Jacobs in the capital last Wednesday
Jacobs said the figure excludes those in the employ of the Namibia Defence Force (NDF), Namibia Police Force (NamPol), as well as Prisons and Correctional Service. “Including them would have brought the total staffing in the public service to 107654,” he said.
Jacobs said women account for 63% of total employment in the public sector (45017), while men make up 37% of the workforce ( 26288).
“The figures speak for themselves in terms of how many men and women are employed and are staff members in the public service. This is the employment reflection in lower categories of employment,” he added.
However, he said on the management level, the picture is different, where men account for 54% of executive positions in the public sector, the PSC has revealed. The remaining 46% is occupied by women.
He noted that on average, more men than women applied for authorisation to engage in remunerative work in 2022.
“While more men than women were recommended for study leave,” he said.
On misconduct, the Jacobs said in 2022 the commission received 91 misconduct cases and 76 cases, representing 84% of the total, were processed.
He said the PSC received 16 theft cases and 12 fraud and corruption cases.
For gross negligence, nine cases were reported, while seven cases of repeated unauthorised and or non-communicated absenteeism were reported.
The commission received three cases of suspensions, five cases for probation, two for termination of probation and three for extension of types of misconduct cases.
“This includes solicitation and bribes, fraud and authorised issuance of national documents from illicit relationships,” he said.
Jacobs further said the commission is concerned with the rate at which the reviews of the Public Service Act, Harmonisation of Public Service Act and Public Service Employees Medical Aid Scheme (PSEMAS) is taking place.
He stressed that it is an urgent need for these processes to be fast-tracked to facilitate efficient management and to improve service delivery to beneficiaries.
“It is high time that the offices dealing with human resources issues need to be modernised and restructured in order to respond timeously to the growing public service demands on issues related to human resources,” Jacobs said.
He stated that new trends suggest that there is a need to develop measures to ensure the diversity of the public sector and the Namibian society to accommodate the broader spectrum of Namibians.
He also highlighted that public servants have the daunting tasks to ensure the delivery of services to the nation.
Jacobs further said the public service commission seeks to maintain and improve quality in terms of human resources management.
Challenges experienced by the institution he says include understaffing, inadequate office equipment and IT facilities, and a lack of general office space.
He further urged all offices dealing with human resources to modernise and adjust their structure to respond to the growing public service demand.
There is a need he says to review the proposed public service commission structure, its budget provision, and capacity for human resource management.
“We have a guiding tool in this regard in the form of the Namibia Public Service Charter, which highlights general principles,”Jacobs said during his first public address as the newly appointed PSC chairperson, effective 01 December 2022, to staff members from the Department of the Public Service Commission Secretariat and Department of Public Service Management.
