I have served in the executive branch of government as a deputy minister.
It is safe to say that my upbringing, raised by a single mother, instilled in me the values and principles of honesty, service with purpose and passion as well as utmost integrity.
Those traits are embedded in me as reflected in ‘My Journey’, a documentary soon to be premiered.
It tells the story of an “incorruptible” victim of circumstance.
Sharing traits similar to President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, I have taken my integrity very seriously and made it an unquestionable principle throughout my career.
More than five years after leaving public office, I can appear anywhere in public and walk tall without fear of “shadows” chasing me.
I also do not spend sleepless nights staring at the ceiling or relying on sleeping tablets to make it through the night.
Clean persons appear publicly to speak their minds.
There are no scandals from my time in office that can be tied to me.
Those appearing in my documentary speak of a young man of character, considered by most to be a rigidly moral figure, perhaps not overly ambitious or powerful, but a man of brand-new ideas.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah’s declaration of war against corruption, describing it as an act of treason, should not be taken lightly.
The President should not be a lone watchdog over corruption, financial crimes, money laundering, theft, racketeering and other crimes against humanity.
Our systems and institutions can only function effectively and uphold the highest standards of good governance if led by an incorruptible President.
If the business of the eighth administration is no longer conducted “as usual”, it spells unpredictability and danger for the corrupt elite who have long enjoyed immunity, thinking themselves untouchable.
The marching orders are entrusted to carefully identified, trusted and tested cadres.
From their action-oriented interventions, it is evident that they have received instruction to deal decisively with acts of “treason” and “corruption” as well as to guide and inspire others who are incorruptible – those who remain upright and inflexible in the face of moral compromise.
It is up to the public to judge the actions of ministers and their deputies, the systems of the state and institutions like the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The real test is whether these processes will round up the so-called “untouchables” implicated in corruption, regardless of their status, party affiliation or public standing.
Judging by how events are unfolding, the long arm of the law has finally been activated.
State organs and public servants who genuinely serve others, rather than themselves, are now in motion.
With such a team in place, President Nandi-Ndaitwah certainly instils hope for the future of our country.
It is always safer to live an honest life.
Shortcuts are costly.
Hiring a defence lawyer can cost up to N$80 000 a day.
When Nandi-Ndaitwah served as Deputy Prime Minister and later Vice President.
Her options were limited.
She could not use the levers of power to their fullest extent.
Now, as President, we are seeing how swiftly she is asserting her authority.
An early example is the recent arrest of former top executives in the oil and gas industry. Can this be attributed to the rise of Presidential powers?
Such clampdowns do not happen automatically.
They result from executive authority being exercised at the right time.
We want the President to intervene – to use her powers through the Prime Minister and Offices, Ministries and Agencies (OMAs) to root out corruption.
The writing is clearly on the wall.
Speculatively, I foresee the arrest of more elites, particularly husbands who will leave their children and “precious”, unsuspecting wives behind to face the vultures.
At the same time, they join comrades at Windhoek Central Prison.
Women will only be safe if they are jailed alongside their husbands.
The President is working to fix corruption.
She is doing what her predecessors hesitated to do.
Her approach is unique. It is guided not by blind party loyalty or entitlement politics but special-interest politics that reflect her own convictions.
For her most ardent supporters, the immediate future may be littered with disappointments – not because she did not warn them but because, once elected, she inherited an ineffective system with deeply-rooted problems.
Over her 35 years in Cabinet, she has observed its lacklustre performance.
The moment she took the oath and assumed Presidential power, she acted decisively.
Her resolve to bring new blood into her Cabinet, not to reward the party faithful or electoral supporters, does not mean she will lose their support.
It is far from it.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah should, as a matter of principle, apply a test-retest-reliability approach when selecting candidates, especially in upcoming appointments of heads of diplomatic missions, to ensure that those tainted by past scandals do not appear on her final list.
She cannot possibly satisfy everyone.
However, her commitment to a vibrant democracy based on restored dignity and a renewed, proudly Namibian nation free from corruption and greed, shows she is ready to walk her talk.
The long-envisioned Abu Dhabi mission is a crucial link to future economic diplomacy with the United Arab Emirates.
It should be commissioned as a matter of urgency.
The stock is available!
Long live Her Excellency, President Nandi-Ndaitwah!
*Engel Nawatiseb served as a Member of Parliament and deputy minister of Information and Communication Technology.