‘Anti-Corruption Commission officials are not above the law’

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) director general Paulus Noa says ACC officials are not above the law.

Noa was speaking during the commemoration of International Anti-Corruption Day, which coincided with the opening of a new office at Rundu in the Kavango East region.

“The office is very significant as it caters for the Kavango East, Kavango West and Zambezi region.

It remains the ACC’s agenda to expand the presence of the commission in all 14 regions of Namibia, depending on the availability of funds allocated by parliament to the commission,” Noa said.

He said the office belongs to the public and that they should utilise the ACC to raise anti-corruption awareness by engaging with officials in the office, reporting allegations of corruption and providing constructive suggestions.

“We must all stand together. Government institutions, civil society, the private sector, media and especially the youth must ensure that corruption becomes a thing of the past,” Noa said.

Speaking at the event, Kavango East governor Bonifatius Wakudumo said opening the ACC office at Rundu is a testament of the commitment to the principles of good governance, accountability and transparency at a national level.

“This office is not here to instill fear. Instead, it is a watchdog dedicated to protecting our public resources and safeguarding our collective interests,” said Wakudumo.

He urged the three regions to report any suspicions or concerns they may have.

“Corruption is a global phenomenon that hinders development and fosters inequality and injustice if it is not contained or restrained,” Wakudumo said.

Rundu Urban constituency junior councillor Elizabeth Ndumba says the day was not just a commemoration but a call to action.

“As young people, we hold the responsibility to shape tomorrow, to rewrite the narrative and to be the generation that refuses to allow corruption to dictate our future. Today, we rise not just as individuals, but as a collective voice,” Ndumba says.

She says a voice that demands justice is a voice that demands accountability.

Former Kavango East regional youth forum chairperson Moses Shikerete says the opening of the office is important and should be welcomed by all residents.

“We have so many issues that our people are grappling with which are due to corruption.

We can now report and put to task the officials in the offices without fear or a distance barrier,” Shikerete says.

“I urge all residents to support their activities and report suspected wrong doings in our society,” he notes.