The strength of government depends on the people who serve it. This was the message from Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare at the government's Human Resource Conference for public servants and members of the Public Service Commission.
Reflecting on the transformation of Namibia's public service over the past 36 years, Ngurare congratulated public servants on the progress made but stressed that nation-building must remain at the centre of government service at the weeklong conference where all 14 regions gathered.
"The strength of our government institutions depends on all of us. Regardless of geographic location, socioeconomic status, age, or linguistic affiliations, all of us make a deliberate decision, even in your own office. If you are all surrounded only by Kavangos, that's now the Prime Minister; something is not right. No matter what English you say, it doesn't make sense. Make it deliberate that one Namibia, one nation, must be projected and seen."
The Prime Minister also warned that corruption in the public service will not be tolerated, particularly practices where money or livestock are exchanged for government employment.
He called for greater youth empowerment, saying young people should be given opportunities to gain practical experience and develop their skills.
Lisa Matomola, CEO of the Institute of People Management, challenged human resource practitioners to rethink systems that are no longer effective and move away from practices that fail to create a conducive working environment for employees, saying this could prevent employees from becoming what she described as "salary collectors".
"We're responsible for creating the culture, and one of my favourite slogans is to remind you that a great workplace is stunning colleagues, and as HR professionals, we're responsible for creating great workplaces where people come and they feel that they belong."
The conference is also looking at ways of digital transformation and creating workplaces where employees do not feel threatened by artificial intelligence and where their work is meaningful to the Namibian nation.
Chairperson of the Public Service Commission, Ambassador Patrick Nandago, says the gathering provides an opportunity to identify challenges within human resource administration and share solutions.
"Its purpose was practical, to bring human resource practitioners together, to share ideas, discuss challenges, exchange good practices, and develop a common understanding of human policies, rules, procedures, and compliance requirements."
The conference is expected to strengthen human resource practices while promoting a fair, transparent and responsive public service.