Allexer Namundjembo
The Namibia Defence Force (NDF) will recruit 1 500 new members in this financial year despite the government’s decision to freeze all unadvertised job positions until March 2026.
A memo issued last Wednesday stated that a team from the NDF Recruitment Planning Committee (NDF RPC) will manage the process across all 14 regions.
“Marginalised communities are also allocated 4% of slots and their application forms received should be stamped and recorded. In the same vein, the constituency councillors should assist all candidates and no candidate should be turned away,” the memo reads.
NDF spokesperson Colonel Peter Shilumbu said regional governors would be notified this week.
“For the Governor’s knowledge, the public will be informed next week,” he told the Observer on Saturday.
Last week, the office of the prime minister announced a moratorium on new staff recruitment across all ministries, offices and agencies until 31 March 2026.
The executive director within the office of the prime minister, Gladice Pickering, said the freeze was based on financial management concerns.
“The money will be finished at some point, then we have to wait for the next budget, and then we will continue filling. This is only for non-advertised positions. Many of them are still in the pipeline, and they will be filled,” she said.
Public Service Commission chairperson Salmaan Jacobs said the freeze is not new.
Swapo Party youth member Stefanus Pombili said the government must stay true to its job creation promises.
“I believe we must be earnest and resolute as a nation. During elections, the Swapo pledged job creation, and thus, young people rightfully expect employment opportunities; this is their immediate and most pressing need. Freezing vacant posts will not resonate well with the impoverished youth who are in desperate need of work,” he said.
Pombili warned that high youth unemployment could cause social instability.
“Having a large population of poor and unemployed young people is akin to a ticking time bomb. What we are witnessing in other nations, where frustrated youth are determined to seize power, could easily manifest in Namibia. It is perilous to have the majority languishing in abject poverty while a privileged few enjoy abundance,” he said.
He acknowledged the financial strain facing the government but said President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah remains committed to equity and social justice.
“Our government is constrained by a lack of funds for youth empowerment, which explains the slow implementation of electoral promises. Although Her Excellency President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is committed to ensuring equity and social justice, fiscal limitations are an undeniable obstacle,” he said.
Pombili urged the government to act prudently in addressing poverty and hunger.
“The beneficiation of our natural resources should be our driving force, yet we trust that President Netumbo and the SWAPO Party will craft a sustainable solution to the mounting challenge of youth unemployment,” he added.
