The new Strategic Anti-Corruption Action Plan (2023-2027) for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) corruption watchdogs will be crucial in combating transnational organised crime, while also leveraging enhanced regional cooperation and bolstering the capacity of anti-corruption agencies.
Deputy director general of Namibia’s Anti-Corruption Commission Erna van der Merwe told participants at a three-day Regional Multi-Stakeholder Transnational Organised Crime Conference, themed ‘Forging Alliances’, that ended at Swakopmund recently, that the SADC Anti-Corruption Committee plays a pivotal role in coordinating regional efforts to combat corruption.
She underscored the critical role of multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral collaboration in tackling transnational organised crime.
“Effectively tackling transnational organised crime will require stronger focus on enhancing collaboration between the anti-corruption sector and other sectors and stakeholders at both national and regional levels,” she stated.
The SADC Strategic Anti-Corruption Action Plan (2023-2027) replaces the 2018-2022 plan that concluded last December.
“Priorities being pursued [in the new plan] include the development of a standardised regional anti-corruption curriculum, the implementation of a Regional Anti-Corruption Monitoring Reporting and Evaluation Framework and a Regional Anti-Corruption Assessment,” she explained.
Van der Merwe emphasised the significance of capacity building within anti-corruption agencies, stating that “a key requirement critical to tackling corruption as an enabler of transnational organised crime is having the necessary capacities in our agencies and up-to-date skills to address these threats”.
In addition, she stressed the urgent need for effective whistleblower protection legislation and stricter anti-corruption laws that target the private sector.
According to her, the 2023-2027 plan marks a significant step forward in SADC’s commitment to combat transnational organised crime and this development could have far-reaching implications for the region’s anti-corruption strategies and legislative reform, potentially influencing policy decisions beyond the SADC region.
Van der Merwe reiterated the SADC Anti-Corruption Committee’s readiness to collaborate with other key stakeholders in the fight against transnational organised crime.
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