Stefanus Nashama
TWO tertiary graduates from the Oshana and Kunene regions cried pitying tears after they were left out of the latest police recruiting exercise and have since labelled the recruitment exercise as not fair.
The pair is of the opinion that the people who were chosen for police training got in through connections.
This comes after a former Police Inspector based in the United Kingdom expressed worry on social media about why applicants who passed interviews are suddenly complaining that their names are not on the list for training.
Anna Shikongo, a devastated university graduate, expressed her disappointment in the recent police recruitment’s final selection on Wednesday.
She stated she passed all physical interviews, as well as fingerprinting and medical testing, but she was suddenly not selected for training.
Shikongo, who applied in Kunene region, said the list for police training consisted of names of those who failed physical interviews.
She also said that fresh names were added to the list while they were not slated for recruitment.
“From where are these new names coming? Why were they not chosen for interviews and how did they get up there?” Shikongo inquired.
She conveyed her dissatisfaction with the police, adding she is confident she passed the physical interviews.
“I completed all female candidate interviews in the time allotted. However, even people who came after me and/or did not pass some interviews were shortlisted for training.”
According to her, she finished fourth among females candidates in the 2.4 kilometers run with 13 minutes, 79 situps in a minute, and did a shuttle run in a minute, among other physical tests.
“I burst into tears when I saw that list. My name does not appear. This is not fair, and I’m not sure where I should report it. We all need work, but this demonstrates that only those who know someone in the police force are eligible. I’m in pain,” she said.
Shikongo, a mother of one, married, but only makes ends meet by selling Kapana, she highlighted.
She also told the Windhoek Observer that she was pursuing a Master’s Degree but had to quit owing to financial constraints.
“I am dissatisfied and have lost faith in police recruitment. Where is the justice in this country?” Shikongo inquired.
Due to the readiness and arrangements at the training centres, the police training was pushed back to August 1 from 1 July.
Another graduate who applied to Oshana region who requested anonymity lodged a similar complaint, stating that he could not imagine being turned down after fulfilling all requirements and passing the physical examinations.
“I applied with my qualifications and sacrificed to do as much as I could in the physical tests, but I was not chosen for training. This isn’t right,” he said.
He also indicated that many other applicants have similar problems, particularly in the Khomas region, where he believes many qualified people were excluded.
“Imagine someone applying who has qualifications and has passed interviews but is not selected for training. Where do you think this person will find work?” the source inquired.
According to the source, several people were recently summoned for medical testing and fingerprinting.
When reached for comment, National Police Spokesperson, Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi said on Wednesday, she will take up the matter with the NamPol Human Resources department.
The police only wanted to hire 1000 cadent constables. The concerns have since prompted the police to conduct an investigation of its recent recruitment to determine what went wrong.
