Niël Terblanché
Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare has called on the executive directors (Eds) of the various Offices, Ministries and Agencies (OMAs) to create a workplace culture that motivates public servants to deliver quality services without favour or prejudice.
While addressing a gathering of senior government officials in Windhoek on Thursday, he urged the top government managers to act with integrity, dispel negative perceptions of public institutions, and drive the public service agenda with purpose and discipline.
Ngurare outlined the expectations of the new administration, reminding the EDs that they are not only the custodians of policy implementation but also central figures in restoring public confidence in government systems.
“Our people must see themselves going into Offices, Ministries and Agencies. Competence, hard work and selfless service must be rewarded. Not corruption, nepotism, favouritism and all other retrogressive tendencies,” he warned.
The meeting formed part of broader efforts to realign and refocus government following changes to ministerial structures by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.
The Prime Minister said the President had given clear terms of reference, and that it was time for public service delivery to reflect the mandate received in the November 2024 elections.
Ngurare stressed that public servants are expected to act with urgency, using practical and efficient approaches to meet the needs of citizens.
“Unnecessary bureaucracy must fall and common sense must prevail. Namibians do not need favours… they only demand access to just, quality and equitable service delivery,” he urged.
He challenged the EDs to abandon the notion that success in public service depends on connections or ethnicity.
“It means that I should not only be working with people from my village, my tribe, my clan, my race, but I must be surrounded by a kaleidoscope of all Namibians. The resources of Namibia must benefit all Namibians,” he reiterated.
Ngurare also stressed the importance of sound relations between political heads and their administrative counterparts.
“Your efforts are to make sure that your political principles succeed in all they do, and public office bearers are there to make your work environment conducive for implementation,” he said.
The Prime Minister announced that he would begin making courtesy visits to ministries, starting with the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, to understand working conditions and ensure alignment with national goals.
Ngurare called for the Public Procurement Act of 2015 to be revisited if it was found to hinder service delivery or enable corruption.
He recalled the origins of the Act, which stemmed from youth-led demands for reforms that would benefit the disadvantaged.
“If corruption is endemic in the procurement system, we will come in hard and close such loopholes which erode the confidence of the people in their government,” he warned.
He urged ministries to use procurement as a tool for local economic development, stating that food supplied to government institutions should be produced locally, and young professionals should be empowered through deliberate initiatives.
“Some of the solutions for job creation exist here on Earth and not on Mars,” he said.
Ngurare urged the EDs to create supportive work environments where civil servants and citizens alike feel respected and well-served.
“Our public servants must come to work happy and go back home happy. And by extension, all our public servants must ensure that Namibians who seek government services must come to our offices happy and go back home happy,” he said.
