George Simataa’s memoir 'Timeless: My Career in the Public Service'

On 6 February 2023, I had the pleasure of spending an entire morning with late President Dr Hage Geingob as we discussed some of his decisions, leadership, the network around him, as well as the challenges of and to his leadership.

This session, like many I have had with several leaders over the past year, was part of my being the editor of Timeless: My Career in the Public Service, a memoir by Dr George Simataa, Secretary to the Cabinet.

I needed to authenticate first-hand some of the chronicles that this book was revealing.

There was no way we could write a whole chapter on President Geingob without his input, I had argued.

That day, and on many more to come, President Geingob tore apart chapter six, aptly named 'Yes, Cde Prime Minister' as he personally co-edited some of the content. In the end, we decided to split this chapter into two parts, with chapter seven becoming 'Inside the Engine Room of Public Service', with topics such as 'Integrating Public Service' as well as 'Trouble in Paradise' being born.

We had no clue that exactly one year later, 4 February 2024, time would come to a standstill. May he rest in peace.

President Geingob would sarcastically say that his own biography would compete with the Dr Simataa's memoir, as he moved certain content from Simataa’s book to his own, which Dr Audrin Mathe had been asked to pen.

The final product is an excellent read, presenting what some might consider to be a contrarian approach to leadership and execution. 'Timeless' is a nice change in narrative as compared to some other books I have edited or written on by prominent leaders of our time.

It also provides many examples and first-hand cases on decision-making and the results thereof.

A life examined

The book portrays a young Simataa falling in love in 1984 and an ageing Simataa joining a class of 30-year-olds in Grahamstown, South Africa. It invites readers to reflect on themselves, to better understand who they are and where they ‘fit’ within the spectrum of leadership, with the goal of providing tools to help improve their leadership skills.

‘During my three-month study leave, I moved to Grahamstown in South Africa and stayed on campus with other students. I decided not to live at the self-catering residence designed for Ph.D. students, a few kilometres outside campus. Instead, I booked accommodation on campus that housed both under- and graduate students. That taught me a lot.

“I was allocated a self-contained room while still taking my meals with other students in the dining hall. Life on campus was good, but strange because I was not used to several things that happened around me during that time. For example, I was not used to washing and ironing my own clothes but had to get used to the idea of doing my own laundry," he writes.

"Similarly, I was accustomed to my food served at the table and being invited to sit down and eat. This time, I had to join the long queue of students to get my meals. However, I reminded myself that I was a student and not a permanent secretary and was not therefore bothered by many of these minor issues. I was 54 years old in 2014, and many of the students in my dining hall were between the ages of 22 and 30. People in the dining halls chose to sit in groups with their friends. I found myself often sitting alone. But it did not take long before some of them noticed me in the dining hall and became curious as to who this old man was. Some started joining me at the dining table and we engaged in conversations."

Approach to service

On more serious matters, Simataa adopts a different approach, challenging you to take immediate and actionable steps rather than getting bogged down by the myriad self-assessments that often accompany leadership in service delivery.

Even when he describes heated meetings with President Pohamba, other ministers, or executive directors, Simataa argues that to become effective leaders, we must drive change with an outside-in approach.

One principle that emerges throughout the book is that the only way to think like a leader is to act first.

Simataa doesn’t dismiss the importance of self-reflection in leadership, purpose and results. However, his key point is that thinking and introspection should go hand in hand with action and experimentation – not the other way around.

One aspect of ghostwriting for Simataa that shifted my perception of public service is the realisation that it is far from dead. With finesse, he shares his wisdom and experience, emphasising how everyone – from secretaries, drivers and cleaners to those in the highest office, often mentioning them by name – plays a crucial role in a well-oiled service delivery machine.

In many ways, 'Timeless' serves as an insightful primer on the pre- and post-independence dynamics of Namibia’s public service ecosystem. Simataa guides us through the personal relationships he developed with President Hifikepunye Pohamba, President Hage Geingob and the ministers he served under – relationships that endured beyond his official role. This, he notes, is something lacking in today’s public servants, who often clash with their superiors over personality differences at the expense of results and service delivery.

'Timeless' offers an outstanding analysis as well as fascinating insights into some of the leadership challenges and solutions that Namibia has faced and may face. It should be a required reading for anyone interested in service delivery and leadership.

The book will be launched by President Nangolo Mbumba this Thursday in Windhoek.

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* Due to space constraints, the story has been edited and shortened.