Aron Mushaukwa
Katima Mulilo-The director-general of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Paulus Noa, says the current National Anti-Corruption Strategy and Action Plan is one of the best in the world.
He says the fact that the United Nations has decided to use it as a case study for other countries that do not have strategic plans is an indication Namibia is doing enough in terms of putting mechanisms in place to fight corruption.
“That can already demonstrate to you that Namibia is in the elite when it comes to the fight against corruption, and you are not surprised why Namibia is also ranked as among the least corrupt countries. International communities appreciate and recognise the efforts that are done by the Namibian government,” elaborated Noa.
He added: “Inside the country there are those who stick to the culture of not appreciating what the government is doing… There are also those who believe that when you are fighting corruption is when you have many cases of investigation. I can tell you that is the opposite. Fighting corruption is when you have put proper measures in place to prevent the occurrence of corruption.”
Noa was speaking yesterday during a sensitisation seminar on the National Anti-Corruption Strategy and Action Plan for the Zambezi regional governor Lawrence Sampofu and other senior government officials, which was held in Katima Mulilo.
During the seminar Noa stressed the entire country at large should unite in the fight against corruption.“The aim of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy and Action Plan is to see that every institution plays its role in making sure that wherever there are loopholes in the policies, in the law, in the system of transparency and accountability, those loopholes are closed, and instead we promote more transparency and accountability in our daily dealings with public affairs,” he said.
In his remarks, Sampofu the Zambezi regional governor pointed out that many times the public always want the anti-corruption agency to investigate cases with insufficient information.
“People just demand we need the ACC. To do what? If they are not given the exact actions that are on the ground, or we have experienced,” he said.