Mubita calls for defence ministry policy reforms

Deputy Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs Charles Mubita has called for policy changes, particularly in the Namibian Defence Force (NDF).

Addressing ministry staff on Monday, Mubita emphasised the need to review the ministry of defence’s regulations pertaining to staff retention, deployment and promotions, which he said will boost morale.

“Promotions in the army are important, but they need to be approached in a correct way. You need to have timelines. For how long have you been in this particular position before you move up? There should be timelines for promotions,” he said to rousing applause by the staff.

He further asked whether the NDF and the ministry have a service extension policy in place to allow for understudies.

“For every position in the defence force and in the ministry itself, there should be an understudy. There should be somebody as an understudy, so that when you are dead, the next person comes out,” Mubita said.

He also called for fairness in the deployment of military officers on foreign missions. “Who goes on these missions? Is it open to everybody? Is it fair? I believe it would be totally unfair if we take two or three people on deployment every other time, when other people have not been deployed,” he said.

Mubita also spoke about the issue of qualification-based deployment, adding that some individuals have been assigned to incorrect positions.

“Let us be clear, it makes no sense to have an accountant assigned at the duty station at the gate and you have a Grade 10 or Grade 12 sitting in the accounts office. Some of these things give the force a bad name,” said the deputy minister.

He further lamented the ministry for losing highly trained personnel, such as medical doctors, due to their low pay compared to their peers in the public and private health sectors.

Mubita, who is on his first ministerial deployment, was formally welcomed to the ministry on Monday by minister Frans Kapofi along with the new executive director, Annely Haiphene.