MPs ‘named and shamed’ over corruption

NUDO MP Arnold Tjihuiko yesterday set the cat among the pigeons in the National Assembly, naming those in the House he felt should have been suspended in the past for alleged corrupt activities.

He alleged that Swapo had condoned corrupt practices as far back as the early 1990s by failing to act against those implicated in the borehole-ostrich scandal and the fraud and bribery in the upgrading of the Katutura Single Quarters. “On the one hand the former President spoke out strongly against corruption [but] we saw little action, thus feeding the perception that corruption was passively condoned, especially after a number of investigations or presidential commissions were not released and no action taken against the culprits,” said Tjihuiko.He was speaking on a motion by the CoD that Parliament discuss corruption and the abuse of public funds and assets.He noted that former Minister of Agriculture Anton von Wietersheim left the public service in 1997 for trying to reprimand a person implicated in a scam.Tjihuiko caused uproar when he singled out Minister without Portfolio Ngarikutuke Tjiriange and former Works Minister Moses Amweelo as two of many he felt should have been axed for their alleged role in dubious activities.”[If the findings of the] numerous presidential commissions of inquiry reports were revealed, I believe that some of the colleagues sitting here demanding Honourable Kapia’s suspension would not have been sitting here,” he boldly remarked.Tjihuiko said public statements that Tjiriange, speaking on behalf of the ruling party’s Politburo, had made on Swapo’s planned action against Kapia for his role in a bad investment deal that lost the Social Security Commission (SSC) N$30 million were taken with a pinch of salt.”The Namibian nation has never believed what Honourable Tjiriange promised.In fact, he is the one who should take the lead in being suspended from the House or even being expelled from the party because of the boreholes and ostrich scandals and, most importantly, [for receiving] a ministerial salary and benefits he is getting under the guise of Minister without Portfolio while doing 100 per cent party work,” said Tjihuiko.Tjiriange was not present in the House at the time.Swapo MP Jeremiah Nambinga came to his defence, telling the Speaker that he did not think it was appropriate to speak about people who were not present to defend themselves.But Amweelo shot to his feet to defend himself on claims that he was involved in a company which secured an agreement with Government Garage to provide it with a fleet of cars and to secure the upgrading of a road to his home village.”He mentioned my name.He must prove it.He worked in the Ministry of Trade.He can check all the documents and see if my name is there,” said Amweelo, incensed at being singled out.Labour Minister Alpheus Naruseb attempted to nip the naming-and-shaming game in the bud by referring the House to standing rules which dictate that naming people should be avoided unless statements could be authenticated.”We are protected by parliamentary immunity, but people hear these things outside and individual integrity gets seriously tarnished,” said Naruseb.The Speaker, Theo-Ben Gurirab, requested Tjihuiko to withdraw the names he mentioned if he could not supply substantial proof in support of his argument.Deputy Speaker Doreen Sioka maintained that the media should also be prohibited from reporting the names that were mentioned and then struck from the record.”Then The Namibian should also take it out,” she said.Tjihuiko was forced to divert from his prepared speech, in which he named a number of other Government officials who in his opinion should have faced punishment for their alleged role in corruption over the years.But he was not quite done in pointing out instances in which corrupt officials were not brought to book.He referred to reports quoting Attorney General Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana as saying that it would cost Government more than the N$3 million it had lost in an ill-fated arms deal to recoup the money.She too, jumped to her feet to defend her remarks.She said she had investigated the matter at the request of the President and provided her findings to him.”I can provide a report to the House if it is interested.I concluded my work and briefed the authority that mandated me.Abroad has nothing to do with the investigation carried out here,” she said.Tjihuiko, however, did not mince his words.He said MPs were guilty of corruption by misusing Government vehicles, sneaking out of their offices during working hours to attend party press conferences and “parading” suspended party members as heroes – the latter in reference to Kapia.Nudo, Tjihuiko maintained, had led by example when it suspended Mburumba Kerina from Parliament earlier this year for his alleged role in embezzling party funds.”Corruption in Namibia, especially in the public sector, is visible and it is increasing at an alarming rate because of a lack of commitment by the ruling party.The fact is it has created conducive conditions for corrupt activities to go unpunished,” said Tjihuiko.”On the one hand the former President spoke out strongly against corruption [but] we saw little action, thus feeding the perception that corruption was passively condoned, especially after a number of investigations or presidential commissions were not released and no action taken against the culprits,” said Tjihuiko.He was speaking on a motion by the CoD that Parliament discuss corruption and the abuse of public funds and assets.He noted that former Minister of Agriculture Anton von Wietersheim left the public service in 1997 for trying to reprimand a person implicated in a scam.Tjihuiko caused uproar when he singled out Minister without Portfolio Ngarikutuke Tjiriange and former Works Minister Moses Amweelo as two of many he felt should have been axed for their alleged role in dubious activities.”[If the findings of the] numerous presidential commissions of inquiry reports were revealed, I believe that some of the colleagues sitting here demanding Honourable Kapia’s suspension would not have been sitting here,” he boldly remarked.Tjihuiko said public statements that Tjiriange, speaking on behalf of the ruling party’s Politburo, had made on Swapo’s planned action against Kapia for his role in a bad investment deal that lost the Social Security Commission (SSC) N$30 million were taken with a pinch of salt.”The Namibian nation has never believed what Honourable Tjiriange promised.In fact, he is the one who should take the lead in being suspended from the House or even being expelled from the party because of the boreholes and ostrich scandals and, most importantly, [for receiving] a ministerial salary and benefits he is getting under the guise of Minister without Portfolio while doing 100 per cent party work,” said Tjihuiko.Tjiriange was not present in the House at the time.Swapo MP Jeremiah Nambinga came to his defence, telling the Speaker that he did not think it was appropriate to speak about people who were not present to defend themselves.But Amweelo shot to his feet to defend himself on claims that he was involved in a company which secured an agreement with Government Garage to provide it with a fleet of cars and to secure the upgrading of a road to his home village.”He mentioned my name.He must prove it.He worked in the Ministry of Trade.He can check all the documents and see if my name is there,” said Amweelo, incensed at being singled out.Labour Minister Alpheus Naruseb attempted to nip the naming-and-shaming game in the bud by referring the House to standing rules which dictate that naming people should be avoided unless statements could be authenticated.”We are protected by parliamentary immunity, but people hear these things outside and individual integrity gets seriously tarnished,” said Naruseb.The Speaker, Theo-Ben Gurirab, requested Tjihuiko to withdraw the names he mentioned if he could not supply substantial proof in support of his argument.Deputy Speaker Doreen Sioka maintained that the media should also be prohibited from reporting the names that
were mentioned and then struck from the record.”Then The Namibian should also take it out,” she said.Tjihuiko was forced to divert from his prepared speech, in which he named a number of other Government officials who in his opinion should have faced punishment for their alleged role in corruption over the years.But he was not quite done in pointing out instances in which corrupt officials were not brought to book.He referred to reports quoting Attorney General Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana as saying that it would cost Government more than the N$3 million it had lost in an ill-fated arms deal to recoup the money.She too, jumped to her feet to defend her remarks.She said she had investigated the matter at the request of the President and provided her findings to him.”I can provide a report to the House if it is interested.I concluded my work and briefed the authority that mandated me.Abroad has nothing to do with the investigation carried out here,” she said.Tjihuiko, however, did not mince his words.He said MPs were guilty of corruption by misusing Government vehicles, sneaking out of their offices during working hours to attend party press conferences and “parading” suspended party members as heroes – the latter in reference to Kapia.Nudo, Tjihuiko maintained, had led by example when it suspended Mburumba Kerina from Parliament earlier this year for his alleged role in embezzling party funds.”Corruption in Namibia, especially in the public sector, is visible and it is increasing at an alarming rate because of a lack of commitment by the ruling party.The fact is it has created conducive conditions for corrupt activities to go unpunished,” said Tjihuiko.