Utoni cracks the whip at Foreign Affairs

THE newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Utoni Nujoma, did not spare the proverbial rod when he addressed his first staff meeting yesterday.

He told his personnel that using Government’s time and resources to promote their political and business interests would not be tolerated while he was in charge.’Those of you who have a tendency to use the civil service as a platform to advance your political and/or business aspirations and in a way undermine the implementation of Government policies and programmes, are neither civil nor servants of the people of Namibia,’ he said. He warned them that ‘Government time should be utilised to implement Government policies and programmes’. This, he said, should be done irrespective of whether they agree with these policies or not. He did not say what fate awaits those who disregard this command.Nujoma, until recently the Deputy Minister of Justice, said because the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was ‘the face of Government’, its employees were expected to behave ‘in an exemplary manner at all times. ‘We must be serious with what we do whether at the ministry’s headquarters or at our diplomatic missions around the world’.According to him, he expected his staff to promote the Constitution’s values of non-alignment, international peace and security, peaceful co-existence of nations, respect for international law and treaty obligations, the settlement of international disputes by peaceful means and pursuing economic diplomacy. ‘By the latter it is meant that we seek to advance and promote the country’s economic interests through our diplomatic representation abroad.’He also called for a greater focus on co-operation between different ministries, civil society and the private sector ‘mindful of the fact that our business is to externalise the country’s domestic policies’.Nujoma undertook to show zero tolerance for financial mismanagement. He said: ‘Embezzlement and theft of Government resources should and will be fought tooth and nail by all of us and at all times.’The Minister denied that foreign missions have become a dumping ground for failed politicians. According to him, those appointed in these positions need to ‘display a high level of integrity and professionalism’ and ‘every decent Namibian’ who has these qualities needs to be given a fair chance to represent the country at this level.The Namibian reported this week that some employees at this ministry say that there are no development opportunities for career diplomats because failed politicians and unwanted senior civil servants are deployed at foreign missions.

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