By: Moses Valombola Nghinamwaami
Imagine going to work every day and not being guaranteed a return home. Imagine having to sacrifice yourself every day whenever you put on your work clothes, every time you go in a house/building without knowing what’s waiting for you, patrolling in the dark and bushes alongside the borders, looking for armed murderers, robbers and rapists. That’s the reality of an everyday life of a police officer.
The Namibian Police Force has always been known for low pay, brutality and uneducated members. However, over the last 6 years , the Namibian Police Force has recruited over 5000 police officers, of which over 70% are university and vocational graduates. There has further been a significant increase in the number of members of the police force studying at all local institutions. These factors throw out the notion of lack of education as a justification for underpaying police officers. The requirements to join the police force have increased; however, the salary grading remained the same. A police constable is still paid on a GRN grade 12 salary scale, whether they possess a degree or not. While a Windhoek City Police Constable with the same or lesser qualification earns 3 times, if not more, while they perform the same duties or even lesser. South African and Botswana police are paid much more in comparison, despite Namibia having a smaller population and a higher crime rate than Botswana.
Next to health, police forces provide one of the top two most essential services in Namibia; however, these two professions remain the most underpaid when comparing their salaries to their duties. It’s important to note that, just like health, if police seize operations for a mere 30 minutes, the society will crumble; that’s how essential they are. So, why are they still underpaid?
The employees turnover rate has been on the increase within our police force. Low salaries are one of the leading factors; however, instead of addressing and rectifying the real issue, the police force deem it fit to spend a lot of taxpayers money recruiting more people in order to replace those who leave instead of retaining their employees and offering better salaries. Promotion has become the only motivating factor for police officers. In our forces, however, promotion takes too long; sometimes it doesn’t even get to those who deserve it. After a single promotion one still stays at the same grade for another 6-7 years before moving to the next grade, while inflation doubles in the same period.
It’s important to note that police officers have a lot of access to corruption; this low remuneration issue directly contributes to the increase in police corruption, brutality and poor service delivery. It has become very easy to bribe police officers; their salaries are so low that once they take care of their basic needs, they have nothing left after that. A single police officer works as a social worker, marriage counsellor, traditional leader, human shield, paramedic, firefighter, mediator, etc. They work long hours without overtime; they work in unsafe environments with neglected welfare. Police officers do a lot for the community; they should be paid accordingly.
Law enforcers are not allowed to join trade unions or complain nor strike; as a result, they suffer in silence. It’s time the grading system in the forces gets reviewed; let them be directly proportionate to those of South Africa or Botswana forces. Our population is very small, and the country has an abundance of resources. The government not having money shouldn’t always be an excuse. We are all aware of what other countries underpaid police officers do; it’s just a matter of time before it gets here if we continue to let our force members suffer.
Moses Valombola Nghinamwaami Uyepa is a 29-year-old graduate from the University of Namibia, holding a Bachelor of Business Administration Honours degree with a specialisation in Human Resources Strategic Management. The views herein are his own.
