Acting director general of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Paulus Noa, whose employment contract will come to an end this month, yesterday said it is premature to say whether or not he would accept a new five-year contract if offered one. 

Lawmakers will today meet for an extraordinary parliament session, called by President Hage Geingob to nominate the new ACC director general and deputy director general for a new five-year term in office. 

Parliamentarians are also expected to nominate new commissioners of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN). 

Noa and his deputy advocate Erna van der Merwe’s terms come to an end this month.

 Their contracts ended on 31 December 2020. 

“The appointment will be discussed in parliament tomorrow (today). Let us wait for the outcome of the discussions. I think it is premature to talk about something that you say will be discussed in parliament,” Noa said when asked yesterday whether he would accept if offered another five-year term. 

According to the Anti-Corruption Act, the director general and deputy director general are appointed on a full-time basis for five years and may be reappointed upon expiry of their term of office. 

Both Noa and his deputy have been at the helm of the ACC since 2006. 

Their contracts expired in December last year but were extended by Geingob for a period of six months and later for one month. 

The anti-graft body was established under Section 2 of the Anti-Corruption Act, 8 of 2003 and inaugurated on 1 February 2006 by former president Hifikepunye Pohamba. 

The aim of the commission is to fight corruption. The commission has been criticised for being toothless, ineffective and not pursuing the proverbial “big fish”. 

Political analyst Natji Tjirera yesterday said the director general of the ACC should be a person who will be willing to defend the integrity of the motherland without fear or favour. 

“He should be a person who is rooted in principle. He should have an independent mind and be ready to make unpopular decisions,” he said. 

“He should be as far away as possible from the political elite. He should have shown that he is ready to stand tall in the face of adversity and who understands the ACC Act very well. I would prefer a senior prosecutor who has been involved in prosecutor guided investigations before. He should have the competency to oversee thorough investigations and should have a hands-on approach.”  

Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) president Mike Kavekotora said public confidence in that office can only be restored when the process leading to the appointment is transparent and the appointment is done without political interference.  

“The appointment must be based on the right competency and a successful candidate must be mature enough to withstand political pressure and stand to protect the vision, mission and overarching objectives of the institution he is to lead – without fear or favour,” he said, adding that it requires a high degree of emotional maturity and assertiveness. 

He said whoever is to be appointed to the anti-craft top post must possess above average analytical skills and must have a proven record of withstanding political pressure and must have a track record of being independent in fact and appearance.

- ktjitemisa@nepc.com.na