Geingob can still be anti-corruption champ
Namibians must hold politicians - including the president - accountable at all times regarding corruption, IPPR’s Frederico Links said.
JEMIMA BEUKES
WINDHOEK
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) believes President Hage Geingob, being at the start of his second term, can still take steps to eventually emerge as an anti-corruption champion.
IPPR director Graham Hopwood launched the Namibian Governance Report 2015-20 last Friday, which points out that these steps include the removal of corrupt members of parliament, an inquiry into the fisheries sector as well as to operationalise the Whistle-blower law.
Other steps include making public declarations by ministers mandatory and the establishment of an ownership register.
“The voluntary system of ministers declaring is not working. We know the Fishrot figures were lying because they had farms [all] over Namibia and luxury homes and estates up to Cape Town which never appeared in declarations they gave as MPs. So there has to be a new approach to the issue of declaration of assets,” he said.
‘Hold politicians accountable’
The Fishrot bribery scandal, which involves two former Cabinet ministers, is seen as the biggest corruption scandal in Namibia.
IPPR researcher Frederico Links said corruption has to be talked about, even if there is a sense that nothing is being done to address it.
“You get the sense that there is a slow implementation and these are the things that continuously affect the quality of our government. These feelings and topics keep coming up in presidential statements and we really need to challenge it and demand that it does not reflect what happens as actual tangible deliverables on anti-corruption,” he said.
Links emphasised that Namibians must hold politicians - including the president - accountable at all times and not just take their word for it.
[email protected]
WINDHOEK
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) believes President Hage Geingob, being at the start of his second term, can still take steps to eventually emerge as an anti-corruption champion.
IPPR director Graham Hopwood launched the Namibian Governance Report 2015-20 last Friday, which points out that these steps include the removal of corrupt members of parliament, an inquiry into the fisheries sector as well as to operationalise the Whistle-blower law.
Other steps include making public declarations by ministers mandatory and the establishment of an ownership register.
“The voluntary system of ministers declaring is not working. We know the Fishrot figures were lying because they had farms [all] over Namibia and luxury homes and estates up to Cape Town which never appeared in declarations they gave as MPs. So there has to be a new approach to the issue of declaration of assets,” he said.
‘Hold politicians accountable’
The Fishrot bribery scandal, which involves two former Cabinet ministers, is seen as the biggest corruption scandal in Namibia.
IPPR researcher Frederico Links said corruption has to be talked about, even if there is a sense that nothing is being done to address it.
“You get the sense that there is a slow implementation and these are the things that continuously affect the quality of our government. These feelings and topics keep coming up in presidential statements and we really need to challenge it and demand that it does not reflect what happens as actual tangible deliverables on anti-corruption,” he said.
Links emphasised that Namibians must hold politicians - including the president - accountable at all times and not just take their word for it.
[email protected]
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