Minister in the Presidency Christine //Hoebes says the fight against corruption in the country will demand from the institutions that intervene in the process greater unity and cohesion, in order to achieve the desired results.
//Hoebes said this yesterday while speaking at the opening of the Validation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy and Action Plan 2016-2019 evaluation finding workshop.
“We must all agree that the true fight against corruption requires action in unison. In the same vein there cannot be an effective fight against corruption if those entrusted with management of public resources are not held accountable for their actions,” she said.
Therefore, she said, it is necessary that in the country’s quest to vigorously mount the fight against corruption, policymakers and administrators equally must account for their actions before their relevant appointing authorities.
“Supervisors must not fear to confront those under their authority and demand accountability,” she said.
According to //Hoebes, one of the six objectives of the strategy is to prevent corruption in government, offices, ministries and state-owned enterprises (SOEs), therefore public intuitions must be good examples against money-laundering, embezzlement of public funds, bribery, fraud and mismanagement of public resources for other sectors to emulate.
“Corruption can destroy all the gains made. Strong health infrastructure, good education standards, food security and competent public training institutions, all depend on how public resources are prudently utilised with utmost accountability,” she said.
“Zero tolerance for corruption must, at all times, characterise Namibia’s policies and laws aimed to advance good governance,” she added.
//Hoebes says in achieving this objective, civil society, media and the private sector must all come on board.
She said the plethora of anti-corruption laws passed by parliament, and international conventions signed and ratified by the government will be meaningless without affective domestication and enforcement of the relevant laws.
//Hoebes says while Namibia has made notable progress in the sector of good governance, Namibia cannot afford to rest on her laurels.
“Fighting the vice of corruption is a continuous process. Laws are not cast in stone. Time to time, policies and laws require to be reviewed to address the present challenges,” she said.
She said damage caused by corruption results in long- term effects on the economy and livelihood destruction.
“Corruption erodes the moral fabric of society and damages the ethos of democratic governments. Corruption benefits few individuals while it is costly to the larger society. It undermines democracy and the rule of law, while it leads to violation of human rights, distorts markets and erodes the quality of life,” she stresses.
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