Police open to employ HIV+ recruits

The Namibian Police say they do not discriminate against HIV-positive recruits.

This comes after Maria Sheehama* (24) claimed she was excluded from the police’s recruitment process due to her HIV-positive status.

The Windhoek resident says she has applied for a cadet constable position and disclosed her HIV-positive status during the medical examination phase.

She, however, claims she did not meet the “new” medical requirements for the position.

National police spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi says the police do not discriminate against applicants like Sheehama.

“Qualifiers are considered – irrespective of race, colour, ethnicity, background, or status,” she says.

Shikwambi says the recruitment process includes proficiency tests, interviews, physical fitness tests, psychometric tests, criminal screening and medical examinations to ensure applicants are physically and pshycologically fit.

She cites the Police Act, which mandates that candidates undergo medical examinations to determine their fitness for duty.

“The act stipulates that no person will be appointed to the police if they have any physical or mental defect, disease, or ailment which would impair their ability to undergo training or perform their duties.”

Shikwambi says thousands of applications are received of which only a fraction meets the stringent criteria.

“Over 40 000 applications were received after the vacancies were advertised early this year, and over 3 000 were shortlisted, but only 1 300 were selected.

“This was not an easy exercise,” she says.

‘LEFT DEVASTATED’

Sheehama, who was born HIV-positive, says she was left devastated after she was excluded from the recruitment drive.

She claims to have been the only applicant out of a group of 93 who faced rejection.

“I applied for the cadet constable position, and I was one of the successful candidates, and I was born with HIV-AIDS.

“When we went for the interview, I let a commander know about it, and she specifically said: ‘It’s fine, we do consider candidates who are living with HIV-AIDS as long as the candidate knows about their status and is on treatment,” Sheehama says.

She says when she found out she was unsuccessful, she hoped there had been a mistake, as she did well in both her physical and written tests.

“When the names of the successful applicants were released and my name did not appear, I immediately assumed it was an error, so I immediately visited their offices at the recruitment department.

“That is where I was hit with the most devastating news of my life. They told me the force now has a new policy where people living with HIV are automatically not considered,” she says.

She adds she was informed by a commissioner from the police’s health department that they immediately cut out all the pregnant candidates and those with HIV.

“My whole world came crumbling down. Never in my wildest thoughts did I ever think I would be discriminated against because of my status.

“The commissioner told me there is nothing he can do, because policies and regulations need to be enforced.”

Sheehama says she has never been discriminated against before.

“This was going to mean so much to me and my mother, because she and my two older siblings are unemployed.

“I don’t know where to next from here. I studied geography and environmental studies at the University of Namibia, and getting a job in my field is such a struggle,” she says.

‘THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS’

HIV-AIDS activist Immanuel Sheefeni says as long as one is mentally and physically fit, it is fair to join the police or army or any other type of job without discrimination.

“I am sure thousands of people serving in the military and police forces worldwide are likely to be HIV positive, but they are carrying out their duties and additional training just fine,” he says.

Sheefeni says as an activist he receives thousands of complaints from HIV+ people who are denied jobs by the police and the Namibian Defence Force (ndf) due to their HIV-positive status.

“As an activist, I am well aware that it’s a culture that individuals with HIV are generally not allowed to join the police and the NDF, and a few other law-enforcement agencies due to the potential risks to their health and the health of others.

“This is because HIV weakens the immune system, which can make individuals more susceptible to infections and illnesses. Additionally, certain jobs within these agencies may require individuals to be in good physical and mental health and meet specific medical requirements,” he says.

• *Not her real name.