The Erongo Governor says that the African continent is estimated to be losing about N$750 billion annually—money that could have been used for development through illicit financial flows and other forms of organised crime.
Neville Andre said this during the annual workshop of the heads of anti-corruption agencies in the SADC region.
Andre says that corruption is a global problem that is not unique to a single continent or region.
He says that cross-border crime hinders economic development, reduces competition and efficiency, lowers public revenue, increases public spending, lowers productivity, and undermines the rule of law and democratic values.
He further noted that there is a need at the same time to recognise that corrupt practices take place at the interface between the public, private, and civil society sectors.
Corruption, he adds, continues to inflict significant damage on Member States' efforts to enhance the region's economic and social development.
In a speech read on his behalf, Andre said that Namibia has passed a plethora of legislation aimed at criminalising corrupt conduct, illicit financial flows, and organised crime.
"In mounting vigorous enforcement campaigns against corruption, Namibia signed and ratified international instruments against corruption, such as the Southern African Development Community Protocol against Corruption, the African Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption, the United Nations Convention against Corruption, and the Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime."
The Director of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Affairs, Professor Kula Theletsane, said corruption undermines transparency, accountability, and the rule of law and erodes public trust.
"If unchecked, corruption has followed conflict and, in some cases, has been identified as one of the root causes of conflict by diminishing the effectiveness of national institutions and being used as a popular grievance. Our region cannot afford this; peace and security are central to SADC because, without these, SADC cannot achieve the desired goal of advancing the prosperity and welfare of the people."
Paulus Noa is the Director-General of Namibia's Anti-Corruption Commission and the outgoing Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption Agencies in SADC. "Corruption is one of the causes of the sharp rise in income inequality and the inequitable distribution of resources, and it causes many quagmires. This underscores the need for intensifying efforts to create synergies and constructing collaborative strategies to strengthen and consolidate enforcement measures against corruption in the region."
Paulus Noa will hand over the chairmanship to Thom Shamakamba, Director-General of the Zambia Anti-Corruption Commission.