Africa-Press – Mauritius. The winds of transformation are blowing through Southern Africa’s public service sector, as delegates from across the region gathered in Windhoek for the opening of the 2025 SADC Public Service Commissions (PSC) Forum General Meeting.
Hosted by the Public Service Commission of Namibia, this three-day gathering from 14 to 16 July 2025 marks a pivotal moment in the collective journey toward ethical, people-centred governance.
CSC Chairman Simanga Mamba
With representatives from Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and host Namibia, the forum is a melting pot of shared experience, regional solidarity, and forward-thinking leadership.
In his passionate opening address, Professor Somadoda Fikeni, Chairperson of both the South African Public Service Commission and the SADC PSC Forum, painted a compelling vision of a reimagined public service. He reflected on the forum’s origins, a bold idea sparked during a benchmarking visit to South Africa and Zimbabwe in 2023, now materializing as a powerful platform for regional cooperation.
“We are here to enhance excellence, integrity, and innovation within our public sectors,” Professor Fikeni declared. “The decisions we make will influence governance not only in our own nations but across the Southern African Development Community.”
Drawing on African proverbs and Pan-African values, Professor Fikeni urged delegates to build a new generation of public servants, ethical, socially conscious, and development-oriented.
“We must embrace Ubuntu. ‘I am because we are,’” he said. “A professional, ethical, and transformative public service must be realised.”
The keynote address, delivered on behalf of Namibia’s Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Dr. Elijah Tjitunga Ngurare, by National Planning Commission Director-General Dr. Kaire Mbuende, echoed this vision. Prime Minister Ngurare emphasized the vital role of public administration in promoting regional development and driving governance excellence. “Strengthening national public service capacity is key to our progress as a region,” he stated.
Also welcoming delegates was Her Worship Councillor Ndeshihafela Larandja, Mayor of Windhoek, who expressed pride in the city hosting such a significant gathering.
The forum builds on the momentum of a milestone meeting held in Victoria Falls, where the Forum was integrated into SADC’s broader institutional framework. As Fikeni noted, this move reaffirmed the importance of tripartism, government, labour, and business, working hand in hand for regional advancement.
As the forum unfolds, delegates are expected to deliberate on pressing issues, from technological disruption and climate resilience to youth unemployment and migration. Discussions will also spotlight shared solutions, capacity building, and regional policy harmonization.
Above all, the forum is a celebration of unity and a reminder that public service, as Fikeni so powerfully stated, “is not merely an occupation but a noble vocation… a daily covenant of trust and service.”
With this renewed spirit of collaboration, the 2025 SADC PSC Forum stands as a beacon of hope and determination for a prosperous, well-governed Southern Africa.
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