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Editorial: Bringing Namibia Back From The Brink

Editorial: Bringing Namibia Back From The Brink

IT is very important that Namibia be seen to be tackling corruption, even in the absence of an Anti-Corruption Commission, which, according to Prime Minister Nahas Angula, is unlikely to see the light of day before the end of 2005 at least.

The Prime Minister said in an interview this week that the Commission could not be constituted before appointees had been approved, and although we understand there is a shortlist, we cannot say whether the right candidate can or has been found. The Anti-Corruption Act was gazetted two years ago, but was only signed into law in March this year.The requirements of the post of Director are qualities that are not necessarily in abundance in Namibia at present, unfortunately, and so the Commission may only come into being much later than is currently believed.But the good news is that at last Namibians are beginning to see the damage that can be done through the scourge of corruption.At last they are beginning to see the scale of mismanagement and theft in the never-ending revelations in the media.So much so that there is already talk of mounting protests to end corruption.Not that this will nip it in the bud of course, but the encouraging news is that at least an anti-corruption consciousness is developing in the country In the meantime, we have to act.There are too many reported cases to ignore.If not endemic already, then it is fast becoming so.Accountability is minimal on the part of many.The number of calls to this newspaper alone by people demanding the investigation of various acts of theft, financial malpractice and reporting wrongdoing involving not only State, but also municipal money, as well as a number of others, are daunting.We have said before, and we repeat again, that we simply do not have the resources to do justice to the task that is currently expected of the media.But we would also urge whistle-blowers, and those with knowledge of corrupt practices, to forward their complaints to the Office of the Ombudsman.The cases need to be investigated, and done so with all speed, before more precious resources are lost to a country which cannot afford such incessant blows to its already limited financial resources.Perhaps more judicial hearings, of the kind embarked upon with regard to the missing money of the Social Security Commission (SSC), could even be considered; in addition to utilisation of the Office of Ombudsman, to immediately start work in some of these cases so that no more time than necessary is lost.Because if left until the setting up of the Anti-Corruption Commission, at some as yet unknown point in the future, the trail of missing money would have gone cold, the perpetrators missing, and the resources irretrievable.Apart from the SSC, there remain a number of key sectors that require urgent action and investigation: these include the Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) and the Offshore Development Company (ODC), both involving huge amounts of money.There is also the missing N$3 million from the NDF, an amount almost paltry in comparison with the abovementioned, but nevertheless important.Apart from these, there are others, too numerous to mention, but at least we must make a start somewhere.Because of the revelations around the Avid-SSC debacle, it is also quite possible that those who have and continue to engage in corrupt practices will be starting to scramble for cover, destroy paper trails and vital evidence.It is important that they are not allowed to get away with this, but they will, unless decisive action is taken.Hopefully Namibia can be brought back from the brink, because there are serious fears that our economy could topple like a house of cards if the rot is allowed to spread.We hope the authorities will see the serious warning signs, and up the pressure against corruption.The Anti-Corruption Act was gazetted two years ago, but was only signed into law in March this year.The requirements of the post of Director are qualities that are not necessarily in abundance in Namibia at present, unfortunately, and so the Commission may only come into being much later than is currently believed.But the good news is that at last Namibians are beginning to see the damage that can be done through the scourge of corruption.At last they are beginning to see the scale of mismanagement and theft in the never-ending revelations in the media.So much so that there is already talk of mounting protests to end corruption.Not that this will nip it in the bud of course, but the encouraging news is that at least an anti-corruption consciousness is developing in the country In the meantime, we have to act.There are too many reported cases to ignore.If not endemic already, then it is fast becoming so.Accountability is minimal on the part of many.The number of calls to this newspaper alone by people demanding the investigation of various acts of theft, financial malpractice and reporting wrongdoing involving not only State, but also municipal money, as well as a number of others, are daunting.We have said before, and we repeat again, that we simply do not have the resources to do justice to the task that is currently expected of the media.But we would also urge whistle-blowers, and those with knowledge of corrupt practices, to forward their complaints to the Office of the Ombudsman.The cases need to be investigated, and done so with all speed, before more precious resources are lost to a country which cannot afford such incessant blows to its already limited financial resources.Perhaps more judicial hearings, of the kind embarked upon with regard to the missing money of the Social Security Commission (SSC), could even be considered; in addition to utilisation of the Office of Ombudsman, to immediately start work in some of these cases so that no more time than necessary is lost.Because if left until the setting up of the Anti-Corruption Commission, at some as yet unknown point in the future, the trail of missing money would have gone cold, the perpetrators missing, and the resources irretrievable.Apart from the SSC, there remain a number of key sectors that require urgent action and investigation: these include the Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF) and the Offshore Development Company (ODC), both involving huge amounts of money.There is also the missing N$3 million from the NDF, an amount almost paltry in comparison with the abovementioned, but nevertheless important.Apart from these, there are others, too numerous to mention, but at least we must make a start somewhere.Because of the revelations around the Avid-SSC debacle, it is also quite possible that those who have and continue to engage in corrupt practices will be starting to scramble for cover, destroy paper trails and vital evidence.It is important that they are not allowed to get away with this, but they will, unless decisive action is taken.Hopefully Namibia can be brought back from the brink, because there are serious fears that our economy could topple like a house of cards if the rot is allowed to spread.We hope the authorities will see the serious warning signs, and up the pressure against corruption.

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