Shake, rattle and roll – Permanent Secretaries reshuffled in ‘turnaround plan’

PRIME Minister Nahas Angula dropped a bombshell yesterday when he announced that no fewer than 10 permanent secretaries had been reshuffled to improve the efficiency of Government service delivery.

More than one high-placed official has been left rattled by the news. Well-placed sources said yesterday that the move was prompted by problems with staff, differences between ministers and their permanent secretaries and weak management, which resulted in poor performance at certain ministries.”You cannot have situations where permanent secretaries feel they cannot take orders from their ministers.It is unhealthy and the President (Hifikepunye Pohamba) felt it was time to do something,” said a well-placed source.The most significant moves see Health Permanent Secretary Dr Kalumbi Shangula shifted to the Ministry of Environment and Andrew Ndishishi of Trade and Industry to Agriculture.Shangula was the longest serving permanent secretary in any Ministry.His move came after recent talk in the corridors of power indicated that there was a serious communication gap between Shangula and the Minister of Health, Dr Richard Kamwi.Kamwi himself appeared to hint at this during a staff meeting in February and is likely to tackle the issue this morning again when he addresses key Health Ministry employees.However, the announcement was received with mixed feelings by key staff members at the Ministry of Health.”We (doctors) are shocked.It’s like going from the frying pan into the fire.We are at a critical stage and need a manager with a health background,” said one doctor.According to sources, the worldwide trend is for health ministries to appoint doctors with public health expertise or people who have studied health economics as principal officers.The health source said some doctors are considering a visit to State House to discuss their concerns with President Pohamba.Sources said Ndishishi had to be moved because Minister Immanuel Ngatjizeko had never had a pleasant time “under” him.”We are hoping that the situation will change at their new positions because both can be very efficient in their work,” said one source.Another said Ndishishi’s trade negotiation skills could be well utilised by the Ministry of Agriculture, where he will deal with the European Union and other regional blocs.Among others, Ndishishi’s reign as the chief accounting officer at Trade embraced a period that saw the Ministry thrust into the spotlight over the missing N$100 million Offshore Development Corporation investment – still unresolved.For Shangula, a medical doctor, it will be a new venture at Environment and Tourism.Trepidation in health circles over their new PS is seemingly echoed in environment, which is also regarded as a sensitive portfolio.Shangula will replace Malan Lindeque, an environmental expert, who will take over at of Trade.The move that has possibly raised the most eyebrows is that of Kahijoro Kahuure from Agriculture to the Ministry of Health.Sources said Kahuure has performed well as a manager and those in power felt his experience at Agriculture will be useful in efforts to turn around Health, which has hogged the headlines recently because of the poor state of public health facilities.However, the doctors differed, saying it was well known that Kahuure had a strong team around him at Agriculture.The reshuffle also sees Frans Tsheehama move to the Ministry of Fisheries from Lands to replace Nangula Mbako, who was shifted to the Office of the Prime Minister.The new Permanent Secretary for Lands is Lidwina Shapwa, who was at the Ministry of Justice.Steve Katjiuanjo, formerly in the Office of the Prime Minister, moves to Justice.The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting also has a new permanent secretary: Mbeuta Ua-Ndjarakana, who swaps positions in the Cabinet Secretariat with Loini Katoma.Prime Minister Angula said the changes were motivated by media reports on public service delivery.”Government has decided to retool its machinery, deepen its delivery strategies and refocus its operations,” he said.He said President Pohamba had promised efficient, effective and accountable service to the public when he took office.”Currently, much of our management and administration is reactive, complacent and [driven by] blame apportioning.Clearly defined objectives and milestones ensure effective resource allocation and tasks assignment,” Angula said.He said the reshuffled permanent secretaries had to be efficient and complete their tasks on time.”This exercise must not be seen as yet another change of guard of permanent secretaries, but must be viewed as the first step in our drive towards ensuring ongoing quantitative and qualitative improvement in the performance of every office, ministry and agency,” Angula said.He said permanent secretaries would undergo performance evaluations.Well-placed sources said yesterday that the move was prompted by problems with staff, differences between ministers and their permanent secretaries and weak management, which resulted in poor performance at certain ministries.”You cannot have situations where permanent secretaries feel they cannot take orders from their ministers.It is unhealthy and the President (Hifikepunye Pohamba) felt it was time to do something,” said a well-placed source.The most significant moves see Health Permanent Secretary Dr Kalumbi Shangula shifted to the Ministry of Environment and Andrew Ndishishi of Trade and Industry to Agriculture.Shangula was the longest serving permanent secretary in any Ministry.His move came after recent talk in the corridors of power indicated that there was a serious communication gap between Shangula and the Minister of Health, Dr Richard Kamwi.Kamwi himself appeared to hint at this during a staff meeting in February and is likely to tackle the issue this morning again when he addresses key Health Ministry employees. However, the announcement was received with mixed feelings by key staff members at the Ministry of Health.”We (doctors) are shocked.It’s like going from the frying pan into the fire.We are at a critical stage and need a manager with a health background,” said one doctor.According to sources, the worldwide trend is for health ministries to appoint doctors with public health expertise or people who have studied health economics as principal officers.The health source said some doctors are considering a visit to State House to discuss their concerns with President Pohamba.Sources said Ndishishi had to be moved because Minister Immanuel Ngatjizeko had never had a pleasant time “under” him.”We are hoping that the situation will change at their new positions because both can be very efficient in their work,” said one source.Another said Ndishishi’s trade negotiation skills could be well utilised by the Ministry of Agriculture, where he will deal with the European Union and other regional blocs.Among others, Ndishishi’s reign as the chief accounting officer at Trade embraced a period that saw the Ministry thrust into the spotlight over the missing N$100 million Offshore Development Corporation investment – still unresolved.For Shangula, a medical doctor, it will be a new venture at Environment and Tourism.Trepidation in health circles over their new PS is seemingly echoed in environment, which is also regarded as a sensitive portfolio.Shangula will replace Malan Lindeque, an environmental expert, who will take over at of Trade.The move that has possibly raised the most eyebrows is that of Kahijoro Kahuure from Agriculture to the Ministry of Health.Sources said Kahuure has performed well as a manager and those in power felt his experience at Agriculture will be useful in efforts to turn around Health, which has hogged the headlines recently because of the poor state of public health facilities.However, the doctors differed, saying it was well known that Kahuure had a strong team around him at Agriculture.The reshuffle also sees Frans Tsheehama move to the Ministry of Fisheries from Lands to replace Nangula Mbako, who was shifted to the Office of the Prime Minister.The new Permanent Secretary for Lands is Lidwina Shapwa, who was at the Ministry of Justice.Steve Katjiuanjo, formerly in the Office of the Prime Minister, moves to Justice.The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting also has a new permanent secretary: Mbeuta Ua-Ndjarakana, who swaps positions in the Cabinet Secretariat with Loini Katoma.Prime Minister Angula said the changes were motivated by media reports on public service delivery.”Government has decided to retool its machinery, deepen its delivery strategies and refocus its operations,” he said.He said President Pohamba had promised efficient, effective and accountable service to the public when he took office.”Currently, much of our management and administration is reactive, complacent and [driven by] blame apportioning.Clearly defined objectives and milestones ensure effective resource allocation and tasks assignment,” Angula said.He said the reshuffled permanent secretaries had to be efficient and complete their tasks on time.”This exercise must not be seen as yet another change of guard of permanent secretaries, but must be viewed as the first step in our drive towards ensuring ongoing quantitative and qualitative improvement in the performance of every office, ministry and agency,” Angula said.He said permanent secretaries would undergo performance evaluations.