Kavango East Regional Council chairperson and Mukwe Constituency councillor, Damian Maghambayi has advised the government to re-look into the issue of allocating fishing rights to individuals and companies that do not care about their communities.
Maghambayi said this in remarks at the stakeholders’ consultative meeting held by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) here on Friday, for input into its 2021-2025 National Anti-Corruption Strategic Action Plan (NACSAP).
The Mukwe councillor raised several issues the ACC should look at that he thinks contribute to corruption, but most specifically on government programmes like the allocation of fishing quotas. He also addressed some issues of civil servants that lead to corrupt acts and their behaviour.
Maghambayi said it could be better if the allocation of fishing rights were prioritised to serve the interest of the Namibian people, through already established institutions like regional councils and local authorities.
“These individuals receive fishing quotas but at the end of the day, what’s happening is that there are various fishing companies giving lip service to the communities donating mattresses and blankets, forgetting the real issues of addressing poverty,” he remarked.
Maghambayi said the government already established institutions like regional councils and local authorities, asking why it cannot make use of these institutions and allocate them fishing rights since they already have a system on how to account for resources and respond to development.
“We need to review some of our laws so that they can benefit the masses. Benefiting individuals at the end of the day will not benefit someone who is destitute from whatever government is trying to do,” he said.
He further said corruption is also happening in Namibia because of civil servants who have become comfortable in their offices and feel like they can do anything without accounting to anyone.
“We are called public servants because not everybody can be in that office. Only a few of you are chosen to serve in that office. Serving in that office does not mean that you have to serve your interests,” said the regional chairperson.
ACC has embarked on a consultation journey for input in its 2021-2025 NACSAP draft in all 14 regions of the country.
Source: Namibia Press Agency
