YEN Namibia

Friday, June 14, 2002 - Web posted at 8:39:57 am GMT

The Namibian Newspaper

MAX HAMATA

A CALL by some Swapo leaders that only ruling party loyalists should be employed in key Government positions and in parastatals is likely to run into problems, it emerged this week.

The Swapo Party Youth League (SPYL), which has spearheaded the call, has argued that it is "highly important to put the cadres who know the programme of the party [into top positions]".

However, officials in Government and in parastatals interviewed by The Namibian questioned the merits of such a move, and warned of possible negative consequences.

Joseph Ithana, Chairperson of the Public Service Commission of Namibia (PSCN), which advises the President and Government on the appointment of suitable persons in the public service, said the Commission was an impartial and independent body and "you cannot expect us to take instructions from anyone".

Ithana said a candidate for any job in the civil service must be qualified for the position before he or she could be recruited.

"Any post has requirements and attributes. There is no government with people in their right mind which will put inefficient people in government," Ithana said.

Ithana noted that the PSCN acted only on policy of which the calls by the SPYL were not.

A CEO of a parastatal cautioned against political interference in the management of State-owned enterprises.

Tukondjelanee Nghihalwa of the Namibia Airports Company (NAC) said political interference had paralysed parastatals such as Air Namibia and TransNamib.

"Parastatals in Namibia fail because of serious political interference," said the former Works, Transport and Communication Permanent Secretary.

He said Air Namibia and TransNamib failed because their heads used to be protected and Government continued to pump money into them.

"How do you identify a loyal cadre? To me that it is difficult because that loyal cadre might not even have the skills you need," Nghihalwa said.

Acting CEO of the Road Contractor Company (RCC), Charles Mvungi, said: "It is not just a question of putting (in key positions) people who are sub-standard with patronage, but people must be appointed on merit."

He said it was also in the interest of the country to have public enterprises run by competent managers.

"They should deliver in line with the agenda of the government of the day. When they fail to deliver whether they are party loyalists or not they must be asked to give a chance to those who can deliver," Mvungi said.

Head of the Namibia Press Agency (Nampa), Nghidinwa Hamunime, said: "I have not been advised otherwise and will go on with the normal procedures of appointing management cadres."

Newly appointed Managing Director of the Government-funded bi-weekly newspaper, New Era, Protasius Ndauendapo said he could not comment as no such order had been officially communicated to him in writing.

"Nothing has been presented to me and I don't know what the principle behind it is. The rationale behind it is not clear," he said.

Acting NamWater CEO, Justice Tjituka, said a requirement to employ only Swapo loyalists in key positions would also mean that the Labour Act would have to be amended to make it law.

"After all you are not appointing people to see how well they serve the party but how well they are running for the attainment of objectives of the parastatal. I would rather go for people who are competed and qualified to attain those objectives. These are business organisations run in a competitive in environment. These are not self- serving institutions," Tjituka said.

Acting NamPower CEO Imke Hoogenhout said the corporation would not change its recruitment procedures to employ only ruling party cadres.

"NamPower's procedure has been to appoint people through a transparent, short-listing and interviewing procedure and appointing them on their abilities irrespective of party loyalties," he said.

An academic at the University of Namibia (Unam), who this week co-chaired an international symposium on "Performance Contracting for Public Enterprises", Phanuel Kaapama, said politicians should not take short cuts to turn parastatals into financial burdens on the taxpayers.

Kaapama said it was important to prioritise national agendas above party politics.

"For how long are we (Namibians) going to survive on political patronage? Now it is time to empower ourselves academically before begging Government to give us jobs," he said.

George Larbi from the University of Birmingham Public Service Training Centre stressed the need to appoint people based on merit.

He said the commercialisation of public entities had proven that it was difficult to get rid of non-performing political appointees in State-owned enterprises.

Swapo Deputy Secretary General John Pandeni on Tuesday said the ruling party would push ahead with its timetable to influence Government to put loyalists in strategic Government positions.