Joshua Kazanga
It is not easy to define corruption. But in a narrow sense, corruption is mostly concerned with bribery, nepotism and embezzlement, and it takes several forms. Corruption is a global phenomenon and it is omnipresent.
Corruption has progressively increased and is now rampant in our society. Today, the number of ministers with an honest image can be counted on one hand.
At one time, corruption such as bribe was practised for getting the wrong things done but now bribe is practised for getting the right things done at the right time. Analytically, most people are not corrupt because they’re in power, but they are corrupt because they fear one day they will lose power. So, they try to maximise every given opportunity. English writer Charles Caleb Colton notes: “Corruption is like a ball of snow, once it starts rolling, it must increase.” This notion highlights that corruption starts slowly and becomes more widespread if left unchecked. Notably, a society with no fundamental values to fight corruption makes everyone corrupt to the extent that no one is innocent anymore. And that is the sign of a dying nation.
Corruption in Namibia is a consequence of the nexus between bureaucracy, politics and criminals. Indubitably, the most famous corruption case to ever come out of Namibia is the Fishrot scandal. But the nation has also seen corruption cases such as that of Lazarus Kandara in 2005, Kora awards scandal in 2015, SME Bank in 2016, infamous corruption at the Ministry of Works and Transport of the so-called tenderpreneurs before John Mutorwa’s tenure, corruption at the Ministry of Mines and Energy in 2022 under the watch of Tom Alweendo, corruption implicating then education minister Katrina Hanse-Himarwa, corruption allegations at NAMDIA involving former mines minister Obeth Kandjoze, corruption in the education sector, corruption in the agriculture ministry in 2013 of fraud that amounted to N$100 million on purchasing equipment to combat foot and mouth disease outbreak, corruption in the ministry of defence implicating the then minister of defence Peter Vilho, numerous corruption cases in the ministry of health, corruption among local leaders selling communal land to mention but a few. In essence, the list of corruption in Namibia is long.
The Affirmative Repositioning movement’s leader Job Amupanda should be lauded for exposing some corruption cases in Namibia. He’s always brave and at the forefront to dig cases that are not heard of or much concealed. Of recent, he uncovered a potential corruption case implicating the Minister of Higher Education, Training and Innovation, Itah Kandjii-Murangi. Job is simply a watchdog for the corrupt elites. He has been doing a good job at it just like how Fabrizio Romano uncovers hidden information in the football sphere. Job belongs to the formidable noble people who believe that it is possible to overcome corruption. That’s what exactly Namibia needs. After all, every nation gets the government it deserves. Our country deserves a nation which has unwavering leaders like Job.
It is common knowledge that those in power often abuse it and engage in corrupt behaviour.
The use of S&T as a profit-making scheme isn’t new in Namibia. Notably, the former minister of fisheries Bernhardt Esau highlighted how lucrative travelling was to him, and possibly to other ministers as well. Those who benefit from this see this as normal.
But it’s the taxpayers who suffer from this action. In the end, it brings a huge gap between the rich and the poor. As Pope Francis noted, “Corruption is paid by the poor.”
Unfortunately, in the game of corruption, more isn’t enough. This behaviour has led and will continuously lead many esteemed people to shame.
The youth have to be at the forefront to fight corruption at every given chance.
Every corruption case should be treated like cancer. As Joe Biden puts it, “corruption is a cancer. A cancer that eats away its citizens’ faith in democracy, diminishes the instinct for innovation and creativity.”
Also, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) must be watchful. It is clear the citizens no longer trust ACC. And that marks a failure in leadership.
Basically, without strong watchdog institutions impunity becomes the foundation upon which systems of corruption are built. By so doing, integrity, transparency and the fight against corruption have to be part of the everyday culture. People have to have the fundamental values of fighting corruption. Failure to have values to fight corruption leads to political instability and social unrest. Eventually, this hampers economic growth, perpetuates poverty, distorts market competition and discourages foreign investment.
* Joshua Kazanga is an educator and a social commentator.