Kandjemuni Kamuiiri
Former Home Affairs minister, Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, has demanded answers from Home Affairs, Immigration and Security Minister, Frans Kapofi, after the minister accused her of being the cause of the current problems facing the ministry.
According to the Namibian Sun, Kapofi was not pleased with the credit given to his predecessor for bringing efficiency to the Home Affairs ministry’s operations. “Ask Mr. Kapofi himself, what has collapsed? Is it the computerised system? Is it those who were trained to operate them? What has really collapse?”
According to Iivula-Ithana, Kapofi should not just state that things have collapsed with no indication of what collapsed. “Was there equipment stolen from the ministry? Those who were trained, what happened to them? Did they leave when Pendukeni left? What actually happened? I also need to know.”
Iivula-Ithana claimed that under her leadership the ministry put up systems and infrastructures, like the reception area, which she said, was organised in such a way that whoever comes first was served first and people had a seating arrangement.
“Were those chairs removed? The system of first come first serve, where you get your ticket giving you the number of your arrival, what happened to it?”
Iivula-Ithana said she will leave it up to the public to answer, whether she had done a good job or not, during her tenure.
“I was serving the public, as for myself, I have nothing to say because I was not serving myself. Those that I was serving I’ll let them talk.”
Kapofi is quoted in the Namibian Sun saying her work in the ministry was “artificial”. He also said “so much money was used to acquire systems that were rushed and immediately collapsed as soon as they were implemented”.
According to Kapofi “her much trumpeted perceived success was not sustainable in the long run.”
The Ministry of Home Affairs turnaround strategy implemented in May 2014, resulted in faster turnaround times, shorter queues and improved customer service at the government department.
