Africa-Press – Namibia. The Independent Patriot for Change (IPC) has demanded for action to be taken against corruption, and ridiculed president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah for saying she will not deal with corruption that occured before her term.
IPC president Panduleni Itula made these comments on Friday during the IPC’s state of the nation address.
Itula said he is not happy with Nandi-Ndaitwah for repeatedly stating that she will not go after previous corruption.
“One analyst states Netumbo is the last of the Swapo Mohicans – she is no different from the looting clique, no amount of nice talk will convince the Namibian people otherwise,” Itula said.
Itula further questioned what her fear was for maintaining to not pursue treason crimes committed before her time.
He noted Nandi-Ndaitwah’s “no business as usual” philosophy, and said radical shifts to tackle poverty and unemployment are welcome sentiments.
“But words alone do not change lives, deeds do, and it is in deeds past and future that we must cast the light of scrutiny,” he said.
Itula is demanding accountability from the government and wants the president to come out and tell the nation with clear directions how she plans to address corruption.
Nandi-Ndaitwah during her state of the nation address stated that for them to reach their goals, they must commit to hard work with honesty and integrity.
“We must all fight the evil of corruption. President Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere once said, ‘corruption is an act of treason’. I quote him now as I quoted him in my inaugural address to emphasise the fact that corruption is an evil that diverts limited public resources away from development,” she stated.
She said efforts to combat corruption have been reinforced through the Whistle-Blower Protection Act, and soon the activation of the Witness Protection Act.
Including the implementation of the second National Anti-Corruption Strategy, she said, these acts mark important steps forward in the fight against corruption.
Swapo and the Mariental Town Council’s Billy Mensah yesterday rubbished IPC claims that the president is avoiding past corruption because she was part of the regime, stating that past corruptions are still being investigated while some are still in court.
“A good example IPC must take from is her immediate decisiveness to relieve agriculture minister Mac Hengari from his duties following the set allegations. This should serve as a precedent to all that she means business and no corruption will be tolerated,” he said.
He said Namibians should stop judging her harshly and allow her to deliver on her promises as she is still new in office.
Political analyst Sakaria Johannes is of the view that IPC is misinterpreting the president’s statement by saying she will not “witch-hunt any past corruptions”.
Johannes says she meant she will only focus on corruption committed during her term, as having to go after past corruption may be difficult, and she would rather leave it up to ongoing investigations.
He believes her move is a smart one as it allows her to focus on the present and not the past.
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