Namibia’s public service workforce increased to 114,304 employees during the 2024/25 financial year, but the Public Service Commission says structural and administrative challenges continue to hamper performance.
Chairperson Patrick Nandago provided the update during the commission’s annual address.
He said the increase from 110,002 employees in the previous financial year represents a 3.9% rise in staffing levels.
While women make up the majority of the public service workforce, men continue to dominate senior management positions.
“Out of 114,304, 61,528 (54%) are female and 52,776 (46%) are male employees. However, in terms of management cadre representation in the public service, there are 1,296 positions, of which 763 (59%) are occupied by males while 533 (41%) are occupied by females,” said Nandago.
Recruitment during the reporting period was concentrated in key service delivery sectors, with 749 appointments made below management level and a further 94 promotions into management roles.
Ministry of Health and Social Services accounted for most of the new appointments, reflecting demand in critical service areas.
The commission also flagged disciplinary and compliance concerns, revealing that 141 misconduct cases were recorded during the period.
Of these, 121 cases were finalised, resulting in dismissals linked to offences including theft and misuse of state resources.
“Out of 121 finalised misconduct cases, 33 employees were dismissed from the public service due to theft, embezzlement, misuse of state property and abscondment,” Nandago said.
He said operational constraints continue to affect the commission’s effectiveness, particularly outdated legislation, limited resources and an organisational structure that no longer meets current demands.
“The Commission continues experiencing challenges, including limited operational resources, a non-responsive organisational structure and outdated legislation,” he said.
Nandago added that delays by government offices in submitting required information have slowed the resolution of complaints and appeals handled by the commission.
“Challenges around delays in submitting requested information to enable the PSC to finalise cases timeously,” he said.
Human resource audits conducted across selected institutions also revealed compliance gaps and inconsistent implementation of policies.
The Public Service Commission said reform efforts will now focus on digitalisation, legislative alignment and capacity building to improve efficiency and strengthen service delivery across government.
