The chairperson of the Public Service Commission, Salmaan Jacobs, has called for urgent reforms in recruitment, digitisation, and outdated legislation. He made the remarks during an induction workshop for National Assembly members held in Swakopmund.

Jacobs reminded lawmakers of the commission’s constitutional role as an independent advisory body to the President and Government on human resource matters. He stressed the need for stronger cooperation between Parliament and the commission to improve service delivery and promote good governance.

He said the commission is ready to transition into an agency model to better manage recruitment and uphold professionalism in the public sector. According to Jacobs, "Strengthening public administration and management is becoming essential in today’s governance structures, as we are forced by world events to embrace the 4th and 5th industrial revolutions within the public sector."

He pointed to the challenges of artificial intelligence, cybercrime, global pandemics and conflicts, saying Namibia's public sector must not be left behind. "Namibian public sectors cannot remain aloof but should start interrogating these real issues so that we are not left behind when the world is moving ahead and life-threatening situations face us unprepared," he said.

Jacobs used the Covid-19 pandemic as an example, highlighting the critical role played by frontline workers. "Thanks to many of our civil and public servants, like the nurses, doctors and other essential staff, who faced the pandemic to save the lives of many who could otherwise have succumbed due to lack of medicine and care," he said.

He also called for recruitment processes to be modernised through digitalisation and automation to ensure transparency, accessibility and efficiency. While acknowledging infrastructural limitations in some regions, Jacobs said the shift to technology is necessary.

He urged parliamentarians to actively engage with the commission’s annual reports, which often go undiscussed, and to support updates to outdated human resource policies. Jacobs said stronger partnerships between the legislature and the Public Service Commission are vital to building a professional and inclusive civil service.