Namibia's fight against corruption is being hindered by weak whistle-blower protection, slow law implementation, and a lack of accountability, according to various voices. Opposition leaders, policy researchers and international bodies are warning that citizens remain exposed when reporting wrongdoing, limiting the effectiveness of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and other oversight bodies. These concerns were voiced following an International Anti-Corruption Day event at Gobabis on Tuesday. Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani said the failure to enforce the Whistle-Blower Protection Act is a major barrier to accountability. "Just this year alone, under the new administration, we have lost N$900 million at the Government Institutions Pension Fund. No commission of inquiry was set up, nor a parliamentary or presidential inquiry, to find out what happened to the money - even the N$450 million at the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia and the N$315 million at Namib Desert Diamonds . . . "We have not asked the fundamental question of where all this money went. Large amounts of diamonds were stolen, and no accountability has been taken by those involved. Only the chief executive was fired. Basically, we are not fighting corruption but rather small-fish corruption," Venaani said. "Fighting corruption must be a concerted effort from everyone, but there are only a few whistle-blowers because we are not protecting them," he said. Institute for Public Policy Research director Graham Hopwood agreed that the lack of operational whistle-blower protection leaves witnesses exposed and weakens the ACC's ability to act. "The ACC cannot be fully effective unless we have an operational Whistleblower Protection Act. At the moment, witnesses and informants are exposed to intimidation and retaliation without adequate protection," he said. Hopwood also called for reforms to reduce political influence in the appointment of the ACC director general and his deputy. "There should be a public call for nominations and an independent, multi-stakeholder selection panel to conduct interviews. Then the parliament should have the task of approving the recommended candidates. There should also be a two-term limit on the top posts so that no one serves more than 10 years," he said. Hopwood said the ACC should control its own staffing so that senior appointments are not imposed by the government. United Nations Development Programme resident representative Amanda Serumaga at the event said building trust in public institutions requires stronger integrity systems and active citizen participation. "Good governance requires transparency in all sectors, and youth participation is essential. Integrity is a choice made every day," she said. Omaheke governor Pijoo Nganate said corruption is visible at community level, where people pay bribes for services they should receive for free. "We must be honest with ourselves because corruption may present itself as a small, seemingly insignificant act, but these acts collectively undermine trust, delay development, and deepen inequalities," he said. The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity. Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines He said whistle-blowers are reluctant to come forward because they do not feel protected. He said the recent ACC arrests were not enough to strengthen public confidence. Tagged: Namibia Governance Southern Africa Legal Affairs Corruption Tagged: Namibia Governance Southern Africa Legal Affairs Corruption Tagged: Namibia Governance Southern Africa Legal Affairs Corruption AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 120 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. 14 December 2025 The Namibian (Windhoek) In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian's morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours - occasionally with a light, witty touch. It's an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.