The Solution To Corruption In Namibia

THE question haunting many patriotic-minded Namibians is whether the purpose of creating the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) was to protect the rich elite while blackmailing and victimising the innocent masses and working class.

Frankly speaking, most of us are in favour of having an institution such as the ACC in this country to facilitate the complete eradication of corruption and all its manifestations from the minds and hearts of our young nation and republic. President Pohamba in his inauguration statement on March 21 2005 declared “zero tolerance on corruption” by promising the nation that his Government will fight corruption tooth and nail, without fear or favour.Most of us supported and are still encouraging the President on this bold policy stand, not only on corruption but also against crime in general throughout the country.What is not clear to many of us is the methodology of implementing the President’s professed battle against crime and corruption.The ACC was established by an Act of Parliament at the insistence of the former President, Dr Sam Nujoma, having noticed the flashing red lights of corruption in the country.President Pohamba took up this issue where his predecessor left off in order to accomplish this important task.The anti-corruption crusade is not unique to Namibia, nor is Namibia the only country in Africa or the world negatively affected by this epidemic of corruption.If we look at our neighbours we can see that some even started at the highest level of society.Zambia started with its former President Fredrick Chiluba, South Africa took on its Vice President Jacob Zuma, further afield France is now busy investigating its former President Jacques Chirac; in China a Minister was sentenced to death; in Japan half of the cabinet has resigned; in Britain Tony Blair was questioned several times by the police about fraudulent practices during the election campaign; in America we can not forget the Watergate Scandal of President Nixon and the “brown envelopes” during the Bush campaign at the UN to invade Iraq under the pretext of destroying the so-called weapons of mass destruction.All these are social and political deviance based on personal enrichment, egoism, corruption and hegemonistic ambitions of some leaders and business executives in the world.In Namibia I must say that we are on the right track so far.However, what we lack in our country is methodology, procedures that should be followed to execute properly the anti-corruption campaign.Obviously you cannot cut the leaves on top of the tree or chop it in the middle and claim that you are uprooting that tree.You have to start from the roots.In real life you have to start from the top going down to the bottom.We all agree that in corruption there is nothing like a small or big case.All cases should be dealt equally and according to their merits.What we are experiencing in Namibia now is a system whereby messengers and foot soldiers are being victimised and crucified while the generals and the “big gurus” bosses are enjoying marula wine or African gin “ombike” with Afro-Kentucky Chicken in nicely thatched villas.The recent clearance of the Namibia Liquid Fuel Company of any corrupt practices has left many questions unanswered.Likewise, the defence and protection that ACC Director Paulus Noa and his Deputy received from the Office of the Prime Minister about the overpayments they received is clearly a manifestation of connivance.It is what we call “protection of the blue wall”, a term that is commonly used in the USA when referring to the system protecting corrupt cops.The inability of the ACC to reopen all the reports of the Presidential Commissions of Enquiry, starting from the Frank Commission, Social Security Commission, Airports Authority Commission, Roads Authority Commission, the Development Brigade Commission, the ODC N$100 million, Social Security Commission/ Avid N$30 million, DRC N$25 million, NDF N$3 million, to mention but a few, leaves us with many questions unanswered.What about the dubious tenders involving state funds, such as the Northern Railway Project, Rock Enterprises and the Penduka TV Licence projects of the NBC, the numerous tenders awarded to the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications to carry out reparations on Government buildings, houses, equipment, etc.Who will clean up the current mess at the Ministry of Health and Social Services, as well as the maladministration, lack of professionalism, job efficiency and transparency in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Trade and Industry, just mention but a few.If the ACC is a tool for socio-economic development, then its profile has to be changed.Things are falling apart throughout the country with poverty on the increase, petrol prices on the rise, inflation sticking out its ugly head, diseases taking their toll on the nation and, above all, mounting political rivalry, infighting, backstabbing and mudslinging, particularly within the ruling party Swapo, CoD and DTA.The situation throughout the country today is going from bad to worse.Poor Government services, incompetence, maladministration, poor financial management, lack of transparency, lack of professionalism, nepotism, tribalism, poor morale and ethical practices are, to mention but a few, clear indications showing that President Pohamba needs urgent assistance from all of us to consolidate his leadership and focus on the needs of the nation.Corruption is the culmination of all the negative practices I mentioned above and the ACC cannot uproot corruption in this country unless they address the root causes of corruption.The extreme form of corruption is economic sabotage and some of us will not hesitate to classify the current socio-economic situation in the country as economic sabotage.After Independence, all the failures of the authorities were blamed on the apartheid colonial administration.Seventeen years after Independence, on whom are we now pinning the blame for the appalling and disastrous health conditions in the country with hospitals and clinics falling apart, while millions and millions of Namibian dollars are going down the drain and the real culprits are being protected by the system.To me “zero tolerance on corruption” means tackle the evil deed right from its roots.That means declaring a clean-up operation by instructing the ACC to go into in-depth investigations right from the Office of the President, Office of the Prime Minister, the National Assembly and its members, each and every Ministry, Government Institution or Office and making sure that anything that smells of corruption is uprooted, scrupulously dealt with and sealed not to be repeated.Selective justice will not help to uproot corruption in Namibia.For the ACC to jump from one minor case to the other, arresting people on assumptions, rumours and personal, political and social vendettas, will not extinguish the fire of corruption, instead it will only make things worse.We have just emerged from colonial subjugation under the apartheid South African white minority regime.During that unfortunate period many innocent Namibians lost their lives at the hands of the South African Gestapo police and army, just because they were falsely accused and reported for being either Swapo terrorists, collaborators or informants.This is a historic fact.Within the ranks of the national liberation movement Swapo and its military wing PLAN, many innocent Swapo members who left the country to join the ranks of the liberation fighters were also falsely accused and incarcerated in dungeons at Lubango for being South African spies and collaborators.Most of these accusations, both inside the country and abroad, were based on tribalism, professional jealousy, egoism and unethical practices.What we see happening now with the ACC arresting and charging people without proper investigations is similar to the colonial past experiences which still haunt many of us.We have lost our beloved sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers because of the egoistic apostles of doom who falsely accused fellow Namibians.Many people are today running to Paulus Noa or his Deputy as “whistleblowers” to falsely report their colleagues or friends under different pretexts.Without even consulting the supervisors of the particular person under suspicion, you find yourself arrested and given a huge bail fee to pay with bail conditions similar to those under AG 26 during the colonial time.As far as we are concerned a statutory body such as the ACC was supposed to carry out its duties and functions systematically and methodologically, with the aim of advising the Government on ways and means of getting rid of corruption in the country.Frankly speaking, the honeymoon is now over for President Pohamba.What is expected of him now is to stop shedding crocodile tears about so-called interference by the Swapo Party President Dr Sam Nujoma in his Government affairs, and to change the status quo.President Pohamba, we elected you as the President of the Republic of Namibia and with our votes we gave you the mandate to run the affairs of this Government in the best interests of all Namibians.Things are definitely falling apart and it seems there is also very little help for him from Prime Minister Nahas Angula, therefore it is imperative that the Cabinet be changed with immediate effect through a major reshuffle or restructuring.There are Ministers and Deputy Ministers whom we can declare “deadwood”.They do not need to be recycled but rather to be discharged and be replaced with competent, patriotic, loyal and hardworking party cadres.Permanent Secretaries, CEOs and MDs of State-Owned Enterprises, as well as Commissioners, should be seriously considered.Those who are not on contract should be placed under strict five-year contracts to avoid the current complacency, insubordination, egoism and corruption in almost all Ministries, Institutions, Offices and StateOwned Enterprises.Ikenna Tjirimejo WindhoekPresident Pohamba in his inauguration statement on March 21 2005 declared “zero tolerance on corruption” by promising the nation that his Government will fight corruption tooth and nail, without fear or favour.Most of us supported and are still encouraging the President on this bold policy stand, not only on corruption but also against crime in general throughout the country. What is not clear to many of us is the methodology of implementing the President’s professed battle against crime and corruption.The ACC was established by an Act of Parliament at the insistence of the former President, Dr Sam Nujoma, having noticed the flashing red lights of corruption in the country.President Pohamba took up this issue where his predecessor left off in order to accomplish this important task.The anti-corruption crusade is not unique to Namibia, nor is Namibia the only country in Africa or the world negatively affected by this epidemic of corruption.If we look at our neighbours we can see that some even started at the highest level of society.Zambia started with its former President Fredrick Chiluba, South Africa took on its Vice President Jacob Zuma, further afield France is now busy investigating its former President Jacques Chirac; in China a Minister was sentenced to death; in Japan half of the cabinet has resigned; in Britain Tony Blair was questioned several times by the police about fraudulent practices during the election campaign; in America we can not forget the Watergate Scandal of President Nixon and the “brown envelopes” during the Bush campaign at the UN to invade Iraq under the pretext of destroying the so-called weapons of mass destruction. All these are social and political deviance based on personal enrichment, egoism, corruption and hegemonistic ambitions of some leaders and business executives in the world.In Namibia I must say that we are on the right track so far.However, what we lack in our country is methodology, procedures that should be followed to execute properly the anti-corruption campaign. Obviously you cannot cut the leaves on top of the tree or chop it in the middle and claim that you are uprooting that tree.You have to start from the roots.In real life you have to start from the top going down to the bottom.We all agree that in corruption there is nothing like a small or big case.All cases should be dealt equally and according to their merits.What we are experiencing in Namibia now is a system whereby messengers and foot soldiers are being victimised and crucified while the generals and the “big gurus” bosses are enjoying marula wine or African gin “ombike” with Afro-Kentucky Chicken in nicely thatched villas. The recent clearance of the Namibia Liquid Fuel Company of any corrupt practices has left many questions unanswered.Likewise, the defence and protection that ACC Director Paulus Noa and his Deputy received from the Office of the Prime Minister about the overpayments they received is clearly a manifestation of connivance.It is what we call “protection of the blue wall”, a term that is commonly used in the USA when referring to the system protecting corrupt cops.The inability of the ACC to reopen all the reports of the Presidential Commissions of Enquiry, starting from the Frank Commission, Social Security Commission, Airports Authority Commission, Roads Authority Commission, the Development Brigade Commission, the ODC N$100 million, Social Security Commission/ Avid N$30 million, DRC N$25 million, NDF N$3 million, to mention but a few, leaves us with many questions unanswered.What about the dubious tenders involving state funds, such as the Northern Railway Project, Rock Enterprises and the Penduka TV Licence projects of the NBC, the numerous tenders awarded to the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications to carry out reparations on Government buildings, houses, equipment, etc.Who will clean up the current mess at the Ministry of Health and Social Services, as well as the maladministration, lack of professionalism, job efficiency and transparency in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Trade and Industry, just mention but a few.If the ACC is a tool for socio-economic development, then its profile has to be changed.Things are falling apart throughout the country with poverty on the increase, petrol prices on the rise, inflation sticking out its ugly head, diseases taking their toll on the nation and, above all, mounting political rivalry, infighting, backstabbing and mudslinging, particularly within the ruling party Swapo, CoD and DTA.The situation throughout the country today is going from bad to worse.Poor Government services, incompetence, maladministration, poor financial management, lack of transparency, lack of professionalism, nepotism, tribalism, poor morale and ethical practices are, to mention but a few, clear indications showing that President Pohamba needs urgent assistance from all of us to consolidate his leadership and focus on the needs of the nation. Corruption is the culmination of all the negative practices I mentioned above and the ACC cannot uproot corruption in this country unless they address the root causes of corruption.The extreme form of corruption is economic sabotage and some of us will not hesitate to classify the current socio-economic situation in the country as economic sabotage.After Independence, all the failures of the authorities were blamed on the apartheid colonial administration.Seventeen years after Independence, on whom are we now pinning the blame for the appalling and disastrous health conditions in the country with hospitals and clinics falling apart, while millions and millions of Namibian dollars are going down the drain and the real culprits are being protected by the system.To me “zero tolerance on corruption” means tackle the evil deed right from its roots.That means declaring a clean-up operation by instructing the ACC to go into in-depth investigations right from the Office of the President, Office of the Prime Minister, the National Assembly and its members, each and every Ministry, Government Institution or Office and making sure that anything that smells of corruption is uprooted, scrupulously dealt with and sealed not to be repeated.Selective justice will not help to uproot corruption in Namibia.For the ACC to jump from one minor case to the other, arresting people on assumptions, rumours and personal, political and social vendettas, will not extinguish the fire of corruption, instead it will only make things worse. We have just emerged from colonial subjugation under the apartheid South African white minority regime.During that unfortunate period many innocent Namibians lost their lives at the hands of the South African Gestapo police and army, just because they were falsely accused and reported for being either Swapo terrorists, collaborators or informants.This is a historic fact.Within the ranks of the national liberation movement Swapo and its military wing PLAN, many innocent Swapo members who left the country to join the ranks of the liberation fighters were also falsely accused and incarcerated in dungeons at Lubango for being South African spies and collaborators.Most of these accusations, both inside the country and abroad, were based on tribalism, professional jealousy, egoism and unethical practices. What we see happening now with the ACC arresting and charging people without proper investigations is similar to the colonial past experiences which still haunt many of us.We have lost our beloved sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers because of the egoistic apostles of doom who falsely accused fellow Namibians.Many people are today running to Paulus Noa or his Deputy as “whistleblowers” to falsely report their colleagues or friends under different pretexts.Without even consulting the supervisors of the particular person under suspicion, you find yourself arrested and given a huge bail fee to pay with bail conditions similar to those under AG 26 during the colonial time.As far as we are concerned a statutory body such as the ACC was supposed to carry out its duties and functions systematically and methodologically, with the aim of advising the Government on ways and means of getting rid of corruption in the country.Frankly speaking, the honeymoon is now over for President Pohamba.What is expected of him now is to stop shedding crocodile tears about so-called interference by the Swapo Party President Dr Sam Nujoma in his Government affairs, and to change the status quo.President Pohamba, we elected you as the President of the Republic of Namibia and with our votes we gave you the mandate to run the affairs of this Government in the best interests of all Namibians.Things are definitely falling apart and it seems there is also very little help for him from Prime Minister Nahas Angula, therefore it is imperative that the Cabinet be changed with immediate effect through a major reshuffle or restructuring.There are Ministers and Deputy Ministers whom we can declare “deadwood”.They do not need to be recycled but rather to be discharged and be replaced with competent, patriotic, loyal and hardworking party cadres.Permanent Secretaries, CEOs and MDs of State-Owned Enterprises, as well as Commissioners, should be seriously considered.Those who are not on contract should be placed under strict five-year contracts to avoid the current complacency, insubordination, egoism and corruption in almost all Ministries, Institutions, Offices and StateOwned Enterprises.Ikenna Tjirimejo Windhoek