Patience Makwele
Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare has challenged executive directors to end what he described as a culture of poor implementation, weak accountability and wasteful public spending, warning that the government can no longer afford unfinished projects, delayed service delivery and institutions working in isolation if it is to meet the expectations of Namibians.
Officially opening the three-day Senior Government Officials and Executive Directors Retreat at Strand Hotel in Swakopmund on Wednesday, Ngurare said the success of the eighth administration would not be measured by the number of policies the government produces but by its ability to implement them and improve people’s lives.
“The effectiveness of the government is measured not by the number of policies but by our willingness and ability to implement those plans successfully,” he said.
He urged accounting officers to align procurement plans and budgets with the government’s seven priority areas, saying public resources must directly support national development objectives, including agriculture, water infrastructure, housing, education, healthcare, energy and economic development.
Ngurare expressed concern over abandoned capital projects across the country, saying incomplete roads, schools, clinics, hospitals, housing projects and water infrastructure had become symbols of failed service delivery and squandered public resources.
“Such blots offend and dash the hopes and expectations of our people. Such economic sabotage ruins their aspirations,” he said, adding that officials must ensure there are consequences for negligence and poor execution.
He further called on executive directors to strengthen collaboration across ministries, regional councils and public institutions, warning that government departments could no longer operate in silos if national development goals were to be achieved.
The Prime Minister also disclosed that parts of the government’s digital infrastructure had recently been compromised, warning that unauthorised actors had gained access to some government digital systems by diverting official communications.
He described the incidents as a national security concern and urged all government institutions to cooperate fully with authorities investigating the breaches while accelerating efforts to strengthen digital security and define Namibia’s digital sovereignty.
Ngurare further called for greater support for local businesses through public procurement, urging ministries to prioritise Namibian suppliers, local millers and graduates from vocational training centres when awarding contracts for minor infrastructure maintenance, school feeding programmes and other government services.
He said government decisions allowing greater local procurement must be fully implemented across all ministries and regions to create jobs and stimulate domestic economic growth.
Furthermore he also acknowledged persistent public perceptions of corruption in recruitment, saying allegations that some applicants paid money, livestock or relied on political connections to secure government jobs threatened confidence in the public service.
He said appointments must be based on competence, fairness and integrity, while executive directors should ensure disciplinary measures are taken against officials who fail to perform their duties or violate public service regulations.
Also speaking at the event, Public Service Commission chairperson ambassador Patrick Nandango highlighted persistent weaknesses within government, including lengthy recruitment processes, poor human resource management, delayed responses to commission recommendations and fragmented digital initiatives that continue to undermine service delivery.
Nandango said strengthening accountability, improving human resource management and embracing coordinated digital transformation were critical to building a capable, ethical and professional public service.
“If we strengthen accountability, we will strengthen performance. If we strengthen performance, we will improve service delivery,” he said.
The retreat has brought together executive directors, senior government officials and public service leaders to discuss strategic governance, policy implementation and reforms aimed at improving service delivery across Namibia.
