The Public Service Commission says government employees’ mismanagement of their leave privileges is widespread.
Commission chairperson Salmaan Jacobs on Tuesday said the commission’s latest human resources audit, which analysed 1 637 personnel files, identified leave mismanagement as the most significant anomaly across all government offices, ministries, agencies and regional councils.
He said the issue threatens to undermine productivity and accountability.
“I therefore urge all offices, ministries, agencies (OMAs) and regional councils (RCs) to strengthen leave management policies to address the situation,” Jacobs said.
He said nine cases of misconduct dealt with by the commission during the past year were declared null and void due to procedural errors.
“A total of 82 complaints were dealt with during the period under review, of which 18% (15 cases) were supported.
The Office of the Prime Minister therefore, in collaboration with the Namibia Institute of Public Administration and Management, should ensure that staff members across OMAs and RCs trusted with handling misconduct cases and in general human resources practitioners are capacitated accordingly,” he said.
The commission expressed concern over the slow pace of reforms, particularly the review of the Public Service Act, and the harmonisation of this act and the Public Service Employees Medical Aid Scheme (Psemas).
Jacobs said during the year they recommended that 216 deviations be made in financial assistance.
About 206 recommendations were made to cover 100% of the total cost for life-threatening conditions such as cancer, kidney failure and heart disease.
“There is an urgent need that the Public Service Act and Psemas review be fast-tracked to facilitate the efficient management thereof and to improve service delivery to beneficiaries,” Jacobs said.
He said the main challenges faced by the commission included inadequate human and operating resources, an organisational structure that is misaligned to its mandate, inadequate or outdated legislation and a lack of stakeholder collaboration on several fronts.
Meanwhile, the commission reported that OMAs employ a total of 110 002 staff members, including 37 509 personnel in the military, police, and correctional service.
RCs employ an additional 1 533 staff members, bringing the total workforce in OMAs and RCs to 111 535.
Of this workforce, women make up 53%, while men account for 47%.
However, gender disparities persist in management positions. In OMAs, 59% of management roles are held by men, with women occupying 41%.
The gap widens in RCs, where 62% of management positions are held by men, compared to 38% by women.
