Mariental: Representatives from the Public Service Commission (PSC) met with Hardap Governor Riaan McNab on Wednesday as part of a three-day tour to address public service delivery challenges in the region.
According to Namibia Press Agency, PSC Chairperson Salmaan Jacobs highlighted that the visit aims to go beyond merely submitting reports. ‘One of the functions of the Public Service Commission is to conduct human resource audits. These are carried out by our divisions and the findings are usually shared with the regional council. We however believe it is not enough to just write and send reports, we must engage with stakeholders directly to hear their views and understand the obstacles and challenges they face,’ Jacobs said.
He noted that human resources personnel are often treated as secondary despite their crucial role in service delivery. Jacobs also pointed out that public servants rarely receive the recognition they deserve for their hard work. ‘Public servants are the ones doing the actual work at the forefront of service delivery. If an institution performs well, the credit often goes to the entity and the people who are doing the actual work rarely receive the credit they deserve. Appreciation and proper record-keeping are important,’ stated Jacobs.
The chairperson shared findings from a recent human resources audit, which revealed that some employee records, including identification documents and employment information, were either incomplete or outdated. He explained that this is one of the reasons why the PSC is visiting regional offices to gather direct feedback and assess challenges to find solutions.
McNab praised the initiative and emphasised the importance of appreciating public servants, whom he called ‘the engines of our administration.’ He also voiced a serious concern about the high rate of suicide among public servants. ‘It is a grave concern. We as leaders must dig deeper and show appreciation to the public servants for the work they are doing for us,’ stated McNab.
Over the three-day engagement, PSC administrators will deliver presentations to regional councillors and other stakeholders.