New Government Needs New Approach

IT would be encouraging to hear concrete assurances from Swapo’s presidential candidate, Hifikepunye Pohamba, on a tightening of Government purse strings and a clampdown on corruption when a new administration takes office next year.

President Nujoma, in his three terms in office since Independence in 1990, has on occasion taken up the issues of mal-administration and over-expenditure, but failed to make it one of his priorities. This resulted in a steadily increasing list of contraventions that do not bode well for either good governance or the economic well-being of Namibia.The incumbent President, among some of the actions he undertook to tackle the scourge of wastage and abuse, launched a number of investigations into parastatals, and at one point cut back drastically on foreign trips for political office bearers.However, the investigations appear largely to have been window-dressing, in that they have been initiated, at great expense, only to dissipate into oblivion as reports are compiled but recommendations fail to see the light of day as the President accumulates them without taking action against culprits.Similarly, the initial strong words by President Nujoma on cutting back on Government expenses, among others, through more modest vehicle purchases and elimination of unnecessary foreign trips, appear to have been forgotten.Revelations this week of increased allowances for political office bearers for furniture are another case in point.Coming at a time like this, when the Minister of Finance has already indicated there will be a freeze on hiring and emphasised the necessity for financial stringency, the move is inexplicable.Namibian political office bearers are too well-paid – by almost any standards – to gobble up huge perks at the expense of taxpayers.The need to ensure decent salaries for the top hierarchy was emphasised by several members of the ruling party when it took power in 1990 and the primary motivation for this was to keep corruption at bay.This does not appear to have been successful if one looks at the numerous examples of financial impropriety that have dogged both government and parastatals over the years.Another problem that came to light this week was the fact that political parties in parliament, also the recipients of taxpayers monies designed to strengthen pluralism in Namibia, have got away with unaudited spending since Independence.Some of these parties have, on occasion, done private audits, but this is simply not good enough.Government should have some say over how these monies are spent, and it should be for purposes of campaigning and educating voters, and not for remuneration-related expenses as often seems to be the case.Speaker of the House Mose Tjitendero has promised scrutiny of these expenditures next year, but given the past history of the Swapo Government and pledges made in regard to financial cutbacks and a stricter regime against corruption, we cannot help but wonder whether these will materialise.It is, in any case, to be hoped that the new Government, which is likely once again to be headed by the ruling party, will be far more stringent in this regard than its predecessors.Unfortunately though, things are not likely to change quickly, if at all.Our electorate is not proactive in making corruption and mal-adminstration an electoral issue.And after 15 years of independence next year, a lax Government is unlikely to become more disciplined overnight.We can therefore only express the hope that somehow the realities of our country’s economic plight will be impressed upon our new head of state and politicians so that they can make concerted and concrete efforts at changing promises into action.This resulted in a steadily increasing list of contraventions that do not bode well for either good governance or the economic well-being of Namibia.The incumbent President, among some of the actions he undertook to tackle the scourge of wastage and abuse, launched a number of investigations into parastatals, and at one point cut back drastically on foreign trips for political office bearers.However, the investigations appear largely to have been window-dressing, in that they have been initiated, at great expense, only to dissipate into oblivion as reports are compiled but recommendations fail to see the light of day as the President accumulates them without taking action against culprits.Similarly, the initial strong words by President Nujoma on cutting back on Government expenses, among others, through more modest vehicle purchases and elimination of unnecessary foreign trips, appear to have been forgotten.Revelations this week of increased allowances for political office bearers for furniture are another case in point.Coming at a time like this, when the Minister of Finance has already indicated there will be a freeze on hiring and emphasised the necessity for financial stringency, the move is inexplicable.Namibian political office bearers are too well-paid – by almost any standards – to gobble up huge perks at the expense of taxpayers.The need to ensure decent salaries for the top hierarchy was emphasised by several members of the ruling party when it took power in 1990 and the primary motivation for this was to keep corruption at bay.This does not appear to have been successful if one looks at the numerous examples of financial impropriety that have dogged both government and parastatals over the years.Another problem that came to light this week was the fact that political parties in parliament, also the recipients of taxpayers monies designed to strengthen pluralism in Namibia, have got away with unaudited spending since Independence.Some of these parties have, on occasion, done private audits, but this is simply not good enough.Government should have some say over how these monies are spent, and it should be for purposes of campaigning and educating voters, and not for remuneration-related expenses as often seems to be the case.Speaker of the House Mose Tjitendero has promised scrutiny of these expenditures next year, but given the past history of the Swapo Government and pledges made in regard to financial cutbacks and a stricter regime against corruption, we cannot help but wonder whether these will materialise.It is, in any case, to be hoped that the new Government, which is likely once again to be headed by the ruling party, will be far more stringent in this regard than its predecessors.Unfortunately though, things are not likely to change quickly, if at all.Our electorate is not proactive in making corruption and mal-adminstration an electoral issue.And after 15 years of independence next year, a lax Government is unlikely to become more disciplined overnight.We can therefore only express the hope that somehow the realities of our country’s economic plight will be impressed upon our new head of state and politicians so that they can make concerted and concrete efforts at changing promises into action.