Renthia Kaimbi
A customer service charter audit has placed the Office of the President, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Ministry of Health and Social Services among the lowest-performing institutions in the 2024/2025 financial year.
The audit, compiled by the Office of the Prime Minister, assessed 18 offices, ministries and agencies (OMAs) on customer service standards.
According to the document seen by the Windhoek Observer, only six institutions scored above 50%.
The Ministry of Health and Social Services ranked last at 18th with 22%.
The Office of the President followed in 17th position with 25%.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform placed 16th with 27%.
The Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare ranked 15th with 31%, while the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Energy came in 14th with 34%.
The Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture placed 13th with 37%. The National Planning Commission followed at 12th with 38%.
ACC ranked 11th with 40%, while the Ministry of International Relations and Trade placed 10th with 41%, while the Ministry of Works and Transport ranked ninth with 42%.
The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology scored 44% to take eighth place.
The Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Forestry ranked seventh with 45%. The Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises placed sixth with 46%.
Among the higher performers, the Office of the Prime Minister ranked fifth with 52% and the Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations placed fourth with 56%. The Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs ranked third with 60%.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security took second place with 76%.
The top position was shared by the Office of the Auditor General and the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development, both scoring 79%.
The audit noted that the Ministry of Health and Social Services did not meet a scheduled audit in a previous cycle, resulting in a “no audit” outcome.
ACC also failed to comply with audit scheduling in the past.
The Office of the President, which only recently appeared in the audit, scored 25% in the latest results.
Secretary to Cabinet Emilia Mkusa said steps will be taken to improve service delivery.
She said executive directors must review and strengthen customer service committees.
Institutions must also undergo training through the Office of the Prime Minister to improve service standards.
They are required to submit action plans and quarterly reports.
The audit calls for internal checks, better feedback systems and improved record-keeping.
It also requires institutions to include service standards in staff training and improve public awareness.
Some offices are recommended to train switchboard operators on telephone etiquette. Others must review and relaunch their service charters.
The audit is part of efforts to improve service delivery across government and track the performance of public institutions.
Governance expert Johann Coetzee says the audit results show uneven service delivery across government.
He described this as “only one third” meeting basic compliance and called the overall outcome “quite mediocre”.
Coetzee said the result reflects what the public experiences.
He pointed to the Ministry of Health and Social Services, which ranked last, saying its position is concerning given its role.
He said issues such as long waiting times are common and described them as “really substandard” and unsustainable.
On the ACC, Coetzee said the low ranking was expected.
He said the ACC has often reacted to cases such as the fishrot scandal instead of starting its own investigations, which affects how people see its work.
He said public frustration with the ACC has been seen in past protests. He added that it is sometimes viewed as “an early warning system” rather than a fully active investigative body.
Coetzee welcomed a strong performance from the Office of the Auditor General and the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security.
He said the audit helps identify gaps.
“You cannot fool people… if you don’t deliver,” he said.
