Corruption inflicts suffering on Namibians – Noa

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) director general Paulus Noa says corruption has left few Namibians benefiting from the country’s resources.

Speaking at the Omusati Annual Regional Forum hosted by the Office of the Governor in collaboration with the ACC, Noa said most Namibians are languishing in extreme poverty.

He said corruption has the ability to derail national projects meant to improve the standard of living, adding that corruption is causing challenges in the alleviation of poverty.

“Corruption drains resources from much needed investments, particularly in areas of health, education, infrastructure and other basic services. Corruption is the mother of all moral decay. It is destructive to the development agenda.

Corruption, whereby a few groups of citizens benefit from the natural resources of the country due to unjust man-made policies and laws, while the majority swims in abject poverty causes widespread bitterness and instability. These behaviours must be discouraged from taking root in our society,” he said.

He said it cannot be overemphasised that corruption causes economic damage, thus, it is vital for all people to commit themselves to restoring Namibia’s prosperity.

“It is our hope at ACC that these strategic objectives will be implemented within the stipulated period,” he said.

“It is not only about redefining laws and policies, but we must also transform our hearts and mindsets. Moral integrity is essential to nation building and economic growth,” said Noa.

He said fighting corruption and promoting good governance must be of the key issues for any political party, adding that it is encouraging that many, if not all, political parties are contesting the Presidential and National Assembly elections and promising to combat corruption.

“The strategy’s mission is to promote systems of integrity, accountability and transparency.

This is done through eight strategic objectives. We must appreciate the reality that a governing system without a strategic map directing it to its destiny is doomed,” said Noa.

Cabinet approved the National Anti-Corruption Strategy and Action Plan (NACSAP) 2021-2025 at its 22nd decision-making meeting held on 9 December 2021.

The key objective for the implementation of NACSAP is to strengthen good governance in all sectors of the Namibian society, particularly in public institutions.