Graftbuster nominees announced

PAULUS Noa, a Regional Magistrate based at Oshakati, has been nominated to head Namibia’s Anti-Corruption Commission.

The announcement was made by Prime Minister Nahas Angula in the National Assembly yesterday afternoon. Erna van der Merwe, a legal drafter in the Ministry of Justice, has been designated to fill the post of Deputy Director.The names were presented late in the afternoon, and with the quorum collapsed, no discussion took place.”The Committee found that the majority of applicants were not suitably qualified and/or sufficiently experienced,” Angula told the National Assembly.But at his insistence, the committee ranked the applicants interviewed on a scale of five points.The names were then forwarded to President Hifikepunye Pohamba for review and consideration.”His Excellency, the President has found that these applicants possess knowledge or experience relevant to the functions of the Commission and therefore nominated [them],” said Angula.According to the Anti-Corruption Act passed by the National Assembly two years ago, the National Assembly has to appoint the Director and Deputy Director upon nomination of the President.Noa (41) originates from Oshakati.He has been on the bench as a magistrate since 1993, a year after he obtained his LLB degree from the University of the North in South Africa.Noa has been stationed at Ondangwa and Eenhana.He currently serves as Regional Magistrate for the Oshakati regional division.Noa is registered at Unam for a Master of Law degree specialising in criminal justice.The 45-year-old van der Merwe obtained her LLB degree from the University of Pretoria in 1984 and was enrolled as an advocate of the Supreme Court of South Africa in 1987.She was admitted as an advocate of the Namibian High Court in 1992.Before being employed by the Ministry of Justice last year as a Chief Legal Drafter, Van der Merwe worked as a senior justice administration clerk and prosecutor in the South African Justice Department.In Namibia, she has held the posts of senior legal drafter in the Ministry of Justice and ran her own consultancy as a legal drafting consultant.Van der Merwe originally applied for the post of Director of the Anti-Corruption Commission.Out of the 22 applications received for the position of Director, six were shortlisted and interviewed while three out of the 37 were considered for the Deputy Director’s post.The interviews were conducted by Markus Kampungu, Dave Smuts and Nangula Uaandja, appointed by the Office of the Prime Minister to handle the task.In June, Parliament endorsed salary packages for the Director and Deputy Director.It was agreed that the Director would receive a package equal to that of a High Court judge, while the Deputy Director will be paid equal to a Chief Regional Magistrate.The Anti-Corruption Act was promulgated in April.The National Assembly will deliberate on the nominations when it resumes business on November 8.The House will not sit next week.Erna van der Merwe, a legal drafter in the Ministry of Justice, has been designated to fill the post of Deputy Director.The names were presented late in the afternoon, and with the quorum collapsed, no discussion took place.”The Committee found that the majority of applicants were not suitably qualified and/or sufficiently experienced,” Angula told the National Assembly.But at his insistence, the committee ranked the applicants interviewed on a scale of five points.The names were then forwarded to President Hifikepunye Pohamba for review and consideration.”His Excellency, the President has found that these applicants possess knowledge or experience relevant to the functions of the Commission and therefore nominated [them],” said Angula.According to the Anti-Corruption Act passed by the National Assembly two years ago, the National Assembly has to appoint the Director and Deputy Director upon nomination of the President.Noa (41) originates from Oshakati.He has been on the bench as a magistrate since 1993, a year after he obtained his LLB degree from the University of the North in South Africa.Noa has been stationed at Ondangwa and Eenhana.He currently serves as Regional Magistrate for the Oshakati regional division.Noa is registered at Unam for a Master of Law degree specialising in criminal justice.The 45-year-old van der Merwe obtained her LLB degree from the University of Pretoria in 1984 and was enrolled as an advocate of the Supreme Court of South Africa in 1987.She was admitted as an advocate of the Namibian High Court in 1992.Before being employed by the Ministry of Justice last year as a Chief Legal Drafter, Van der Merwe worked as a senior justice administration clerk and prosecutor in the South African Justice Department.In Namibia, she has held the posts of senior legal drafter in the Ministry of Justice and ran her own consultancy as a legal drafting consultant.Van der Merwe originally applied for the post of Director of the Anti-Corruption Commission.Out of the 22 applications received for the position of Director, six were shortlisted and interviewed while three out of the 37 were considered for the Deputy Director’s post.The interviews were conducted by Markus Kampungu, Dave Smuts and Nangula Uaandja, appointed by the Office of the Prime Minister to handle the task.In June, Parliament endorsed salary packages for the Director and Deputy Director.It was agreed that the Director would receive a package equal to that of a High Court judge, while the Deputy Director will be paid equal to a Chief Regional Magistrate.The Anti-Corruption Act was promulgated in April.The National Assembly will deliberate on the nominations when it resumes business on November 8.The House will not sit next week.