Oshikoto: The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) held a consultative workshop on Monday with stakeholders in the Oshikoto region, as part of efforts to develop the Third National Anti-Corruption Strategy and Action Plan for 2026-2030. Delivering her remarks at the Okashana Rural Development Centre near Omuthiya, ACC Acting Director General Advocate Erna van der Merwe said the strategy would serve as a vital guiding document to strengthen integrity, transparency, accountability, fairness, and impartiality in public service delivery.According to Namibia Press Agency, Van der Merwe emphasised the strategy's role in building good governance, saying the ACC conducted public perception surveys, corruption risk assessments, and numerous investigations into alleged corrupt practices to better understand and address the problem. "Mismanagement of public resources is a cancer that eats at the moral fabric of society. Those entrusted with public funds must end the abuse of office for personal gratification," she said.Van der Merwe added that fighting corruption is a collective responsibility that requires the involvement of every citizen, civil society, the business sector, public officials, and the media. She warned that corruption takes many forms, including embezzlement, illicit financial flows, emergency procurement abuses, illicit enrichment, and administrative malfeasance. "Corruption is often worsened by lack of transparency, weak oversight, and political interference. If left unchecked, it destroys institutional integrity, retards development, deepens inequality, and threatens the democratic and economic gains achieved since independence," she said.According to Van der Merwe, the best defence lies in prevention through strong codes of ethics, robust policies, effective laws, and collaborative efforts across all sectors of society. Oshikoto Governor Sacky Kathindi, who also addressed the gathering, described the consultative meeting as a clear demonstration of Namibia's collective commitment to combating corrupti on and promoting ethical leadership."It is now our shared responsibility to chart a progressive and practical path forward, one that responds to the realities faced by our communities and institutions," Kathindi said. He called for active participation and open dialogue so that diverse voices and experiences could shape a stronger strategy. The Governor stressed that while corruption requires individuals willing to perpetrate it, defeating it demands courageous and principled men and women willing to expose and root it out."Silence and inaction only allow corruption to thrive," he warned, while calling on all Namibians to unite in purpose and reaffirm their commitment to building a corruption-free Namibia through determination and integrity.