The frequent reshuffling of executive directors (EDs) across ministries has raised concerns about the stability and effectiveness of the civil service.
This is according to political and public policy analysts following the fourth ED reshuffle in 2025.
The first reshuffle took place in March, with others following in June and July and the latest in December.
Public policy analyst Marius Kudumo says while the reshuffles are not unusual in government, frequent movement of senior officials can weaken institutional stability if not clearly linked to performance or organisational needs.
“Unless there are reasons the public is not aware of, as it was not disclosed during the announcement of the reshuffle, continuous reshuffling, including in this case, is not good for efficient and effective governance, administration and service delivery,” Kudumo says.
He raised these concerns following the latest reshuffling of EDs announced by prime minister Elijah Ngurare on 30 December.
During this reshuffling Linda Aipinge-Nakale was appointed to the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology and Oscar Capelao was appointed as the Ministry of Finance ED on a five-year fixed-term contract.
Michael Humavindu, who served as ED at the Ministry of Finance, was transferred to the Ministry of Works and Transport, without accounting functions.
Ben Nangombe was moved from the Office of the Prime Minister, where he had been serving as ED in the Cabinet secretariat, to the Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations responsible for the labour vote with accounting powers.
Nangombe was in March 2025 moved from the health ministry to the mines and energy ministry and in July he was moved to the Office of the Prime Minister.
Kudumo notes that a five-year term is too short for an ED to deliver efficient and effective public services within the complex landscape of politics and governance.
He says not all EDs in Namibia are experts in their assigned ministry functions.
“They need to settle in and first learn and comprehend the functions and key mandate of the assigned ministry.
Continuous reshuffling disrupts effective functioning.
The public sector in Namibia has introduced a performance management system.
Against this background, reshuffling should be based on objectively assessed performance outcomes,” he says.
He adds that building a capable and developmental state requires a process that is neither political nor arbitrary.
Kudumo says EDs without accounting functions are a misnomer and should be abolished in Namibia, and appointments should be meritocratic.
Political analyst Dobson Kwala says the reshuffling of EDs has long been part of government administration and should not automatically be blamed for service delivery challenges.
“The concentration should be on serious budget allocation and implementation of pending government capital projects, and the state should mobilise the financial resources to be able to fulfill its obligations on service delivery,” he says.
Leader of the official opposition, Imms Nashinge, describes the ‘chronic’ reshuffling of EDs as a clear and systematic dismantling of state capacity.
“The constant, chaotic moving of accounting officers is not about efficiency but a political strategy,” he says.
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