Allexer Namundjembo
Affirmative Repositioning leader Job Amupanda has called for the legislation compelling state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and private companies to disclose salary scales in job advertisements.
He said this practice undermines transparency and goes against Article 23 of the constitution.
In a notice to Parliament yesterday, Amupanda recalled that Article 23, titled “Apartheid and Affirmative Action”, was included by the Constitution’s framers to outlaw apartheid-era racial discrimination. He added that it was also meant to empower laws addressing social, educational, and economic disadvantages.
Parliament later passed the Affirmative Action (Employment) Act No. 29 of 1998, which created the Employment Equity Commission to enforce this mandate.
Amupanda said that despite these provisions, pay secrecy remains in SOEs and the private sector.
“Whenever the government advertises a vacancy, the salary scale is always stated,” he said.
He noted that government transparency enables applicants to make informed decisions, while SOEs and private employers hide pay scales, leaving room for unequal pay based on race or kinship.
He questioned why SOEs, which are funded by the public, cannot follow the government’s example, where salaries of the president, chief justice, and members of parliament are known.
He called for regulations under sections 4(d) and 5(f) of the Affirmative Action (Employment) Act to compel all employers in Namibia to disclose salary bands in job advertisements.
A 2020 survey found corporate governance in SOEs weak, largely because line ministries fail to monitor performance and governance. This is despite the large public investments involved.
Studies highlighted the importance of transparency, especially through disclosure of executive pay. However, this is often missing across SOEs.
Previous reports revealed that SOE executives concealed their salaries and exceeded regulatory limits. These actions raised repeated concerns about oversight and accountability.
Amupanda warned that continued pay secrecy undermines public trust and blocks progress toward fair pay practices.
