Extra half-day off for civil servants

A DECISION by Government to give all public servants this afternoon off so that they can go home and “prepare” for tomorrow’s Africa Day celebrations has drawn mixed reactions.

The Office of the Prime Minister issued a circular on Tuesday saying that President Hifikepunye Pohamba had extended an invitation to all public servants to join him at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in Katutura to celebrate Africa Day tomorrow. “In order to ensure that public servants attend this event in their thousands, the public service institutions will close at 13h00 on Thursday 24 May 2007 to enable public servants to prepare for the rally on 25 May,” the circular states.Victor Kazonyati, Secretary General of the Public Service Union of Namibia (PSUN), described the move as a “knee-jerk reaction”.”Honestly and without detracting from the importance of Africa Day, there seems to be no planning.To order a stop of the whole public service at the eleventh hour is a bit ludicrous.How do we operate a Government like that?” he said when approached for comment.Kazonyati said Africa Day warrants recognition but things must be arranged well ahead of time and not at the last minute.”We wonder whether it is only for Windhoek-based public servants or whether they will bring in people.The real question we should also be asking is how it adds value to efforts to improve service in the public service,” he said.Secretary General of the Namibia Nurses Union Abner Shopati said half days do not mean anything to his members.”Nurses will be working for a full day despite not receiving double payment.Others get paid while being off while our members won’t get paid for working.It seems like were are not public servants and are not included in those days,” he said.Evilastus Kaaronda, Secretary General of the National Union of Namibian Workers, declined to comment.He was not aware of the circular and had thus not communicated it to his members.One civil servant said he was surprised by the circular.”It is not like people did not know about the day.It says a lot about our administration,” he said.* See also ‘Political Perspective’”In order to ensure that public servants attend this event in their thousands, the public service institutions will close at 13h00 on Thursday 24 May 2007 to enable public servants to prepare for the rally on 25 May,” the circular states. Victor Kazonyati, Secretary General of the Public Service Union of Namibia (PSUN), described the move as a “knee-jerk reaction”.”Honestly and without detracting from the importance of Africa Day, there seems to be no planning.To order a stop of the whole public service at the eleventh hour is a bit ludicrous.How do we operate a Government like that?” he said when approached for comment.Kazonyati said Africa Day warrants recognition but things must be arranged well ahead of time and not at the last minute.”We wonder whether it is only for Windhoek-based public servants or whether they will bring in people.The real question we should also be asking is how it adds value to efforts to improve service in the public service,” he said.Secretary General of the Namibia Nurses Union Abner Shopati said half days do not mean anything to his members.”Nurses will be working for a full day despite not receiving double payment.Others get paid while being off while our members won’t get paid for working.It seems like were are not public servants and are not included in those days,” he said.Evilastus Kaaronda, Secretary General of the National Union of Namibian Workers, declined to comment.He was not aware of the circular and had thus not communicated it to his members.One civil servant said he was surprised by the circular.”It is not like people did not know about the day.It says a lot about our administration,” he said.* See also ‘Political Perspective’