By Simon Liseli
THE Short-listed candidates of the Namibia Correctional Service (NCS) at Katima Mulilo in Zambezi region, have expressed concerns on short period of time to apply for the Certificates of Code of Conduct that are needed to be produced on the start of the training.
The training is scheduled for tomorrow January 18, 2023. According to Ms. Theopoline Hatutale one of the listed candidates of NCS in Zambezi region said the process seem to be slow as they have been in a queue since Friday, something that she explained to be worrisome because they are only two police officers who are processing cash receipts, and the certificates are only processed in Windhoek, and it takes 2 to 3 weeks to have it finally processed.
“We are appealing to the Ministry of Immigration, Safety and Security, in particular the department of Namibian police force to increase the number of its staffs to fasten the process because currently now they are only two staff members who are processing is why the process is slow and we are many” appealed Theopoline.
Hatutale called on NCS to at least make some changes next time when they will advertise to give enough time to candidates to prepare all that are needed for the training.
“Right now… we were not given enough time to prepare ourselves, the public announcement that was given only circulated less than a week and we are expected to produce the certificate of conduct on the start of the training that is scheduled for tomorrow” She explained.
Mr. Siunolo Kananga also a short listed candidate commended the government for the advert of Namibia Correctional Service countrywide. He however made a request to the government that in future if they will have such advert to atleast build more correctional facilities around the country.
“Let’s take an example of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF), they use to send soldiers to assist in other regions and we have the Namibian police force (Nampol), they are the same because they have some facilities and this is what we are asking to the government to provide us as we understand that we are in critical situation” Remarked Kananga.
He echoed sentiments of Hatutale that candidates should have been given at least two weeks to prepare themselves because some of them reside at their villages that are far from town where they have to apply for the certificate code of conduct.
“It’s not all of us who live a better life, When someone drinks clean water it’s not everybody who does that, so we have to understand the situation of others, they should have given us humbled time, majority of us we are still in queue waiting to apply for these certificates” he concluded.
However, a special source that opted to remain anonymous within the NCS at Windhoek head office confirmed to Caprivi Vision this morning that the certificate code of conduct is not compulsory to short listed candidates as it was clarified by the Inspector General of the Namibian Police Force. “Those who were short listed can go to Divundu Correctional Services in Kavango east they won’t need a certificate of conduct, the notice is there with an office NCS correctional stamp and the inspector general announced this morning on the national broadcast radio that issue of certificate code of conduct is not compulsory” She explained.
The Caprivi Vision has also established that on the letter dated 16 January 2023, signed by Commissioner- General, Raphael Hamunyela of the Namibia Correctional Service states that “the requirement of producing a Certificate of Conduct is hereby waived and candidates no longer required to present it before commencing with the basic training”
Meanwhile, in the Zambezi region, about 941 candidates who were shortlisted started paying N$100 per candidate since Friday for the application fee of Certificate of Code of Conduct.