Air Marshal Martin Pinehas, Chief of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF), has promoted and appointed new management cadres to staff duties and regimental positions at the Lieutenant General Dimo Hamaambo Garrison in Grootfontein.
Air Marshal Pinehas conferred substantive ranks of generals, flag officers, and colonels on 21 senior officers.
This is in terms of Article 116 of the Namibian Constitution and Section 6 of the Defence Act, which mandate the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) to promote members and appoint them to vacant positions within NDF structures.
Pines urged the new management cadres to respect the rule of law and act in the best interests of the organisation.
"Our responsibility is to ensure that those who serve under us are taken care of; we must fight for them because you have been placed in your position to work for their benefit, not for your own. The other thing I want to say here is that when you assume your official duties, try, by all means, to work in the best interests of the organisation you are serving and the country as a whole. I am saying this because some of our officers, when they get promoted and occupy strategic positions, do or take actions that polarise the organisation. With too much bureaucracy, no decision is taken, and the work is left unattended; as a result, our soldiers suffer."
Among the newly promoted officers, three were promoted to the substantive ranks of Brigadier Generals and Flag Officers, and appointed as Heads of Formation and Directorates.
Rear Admiral (Junior Grade) Davison Mwoombola was appointed Commander of Naval Support, Brigadier General Ingrid Zemburuka was appointed Director of Defence Central Staff, and Brigadier General Simeon Kotti was appointed Chief of Defence Procurement, Research, and Development.
Brigadier General Simeon Kotti has reassured the appointing authority of their unwavering commitment to executing their noble tasks.
"We are fully cognisant that these achievements are not merely about new ranks that are conferred upon us today but, more importantly, about the increased responsibilities, high expectations, and trust vested in us by the senior leadership."
Reflecting on her journey, Brigadier General Zembruka said her appointment should serve as an inspiration to others, especially young women in the force, to invest in their career development.
"When you also look at my profile, I was the first female Directing Staff at Namibia Command and Staff College, so I really opened the doors for the next generation of the Directing Staff, which is there now today. For me, it is a legacy that I can proudly claim, as I have opened the door for the next generation. But, the journey was not easy, because as a female Directing Staff, I had to work an extra mile compared to my male counterparts."