By: Julia Heita
Auditor-General Junias Kanjeke said that his office has only achieved a 3.27 per cent out of a five per cent employment rate target for people living with disabilities.
According to Namibia’s current affirmative action plan, the auditor’s office should employ at least five per cent of people living with a disability for the total staff complement.
Kandjeke said this on Tuesday during the launch of the auditor-general information braille booklet under the theme of providing access and opportunity for people with disabilities.
Kandjeke added that his office achieved 3.27 per cent with over the two-thirds implementation of the legal requirement.
He further explained that for his office to comply with the affirmative action (employment) act of 1998, his office established an affirmative action committee that is tasked with implementing and developing regulations as per the act.
“Through this act, the OAG as an employer is expected to adhere to the act’s requirements. The committee was established with the support of the subdivision affirmative action in the office of the Prime Minister,” he said.
The committee evaluates quarterly progress made on the three-year affirmative action plan and provides feedback to management and the employment equity commission through the office of the Prime Minister.
“Interventions from the OAG affirmative action committee include a compliance certificate from the employment equity commission; regular staff awareness on issues of Affirmative action as well as the disability policy being reviewed and approved.”
In addition, he stated that the auditor general’s office had availed staff development funds towards a six-month sign language training course which will help improve communication, performance, and functionality between staff and the hearing impaired.
According to the deputy auditor general, Goms Menette, the office has seven persons with disabilities out of 214 staff members employed in the state entity.
“That is three per cent out of the required five per cent, and we continue to make progress toward achieving the required five per cent,” said Menette.
Manette added that the office has also dedicated parking and bathroom facilities for persons with disabilities to ease of access whilst engaging in further inclusive activities.
“I can therefore comfortably say that the established affirmative action committee of OAG is implementing as stipulated by the regulations following the affirmative action (employment) act of 1998.”
Deputy minister of gender equality Alexia Manombe-Ncube said she had studied the various pamphlets used to compile the braille edition launched.
Manombe-Ncube, at the launch, was excited about the basic purpose of the audit report and thus explained the process.
“I am excited that the various career opportunities in the auditor general’s office are included since we have persons with disabilities who have studied in these fields. I trust that your door is open to welcome graduates with disabilities at the auditor-general’s office,” she expressed.
She concluded that the more people with disabilities are on the employment list of various institutions, ministries, and agencies, the higher the status as a genuinely inclusive nation that leaves no one behind.
Chairperson of the National Federation of People with Disabilities in Namibia (NFPDN) Matheus Hashoongo previously claimed that only two per cent of people living with disabilities in Namibia are employed.
“I urge all the stakeholders to take this serious because, according to the statistics, only two per cent of people with disabilities are employed, which is a signal of inequality,” Haashongo said.
