Walvis bay: More than 650 officials from anti-corruption authorities across southern Africa are expected to gather in Walvis Bay and Swakopmund from 18 to 20 September for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Anti-Corruption Expo and Games. The event, hosted by Namibia's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), seeks to promote regional integration, cooperation, and good governance while using sport and exhibitions as tools to raise awareness about corruption.
According to Namibia Press Agency, ACC Director-General Paulus stated in a media release that the initiative symbolizes a united commitment to combat corruption while celebrating the cultural diversity and sporting talent of the southern African region. He emphasized the importance of sharing networking and best practices during the event.
Participants from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia will compete in football, netball, volleyball, and tug-of-war at the Jan Wilken Sports Grounds in Walvis Bay on Friday. Tanzania will attend as an observer, with plans to actively participate in future editions.
The games will also feature knowledge-sharing exhibitions by participating countries, the Commonwealth Africa Anti-Corruption Centre, and the SADC Secretariat, showcasing strategies and best practices in the fight against corruption. The event will officially open in Swakopmund on Thursday with a cultural evening to promote unity and exchange.
This year's edition carries special significance as it follows the recent approval of the Draft Rules by the Ministerial Committee of the Organ in Dar-es-Salaam in July, formally structuring the expo and sport games under SADC's framework. The anti-corruption sport games began as an informal initiative between Botswana and Lesotho in 2011, later expanding to include Eswatini, South Africa, and Namibia.
The event was suspended between 2020 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but resumed in 2023 in Lesotho, followed by Eswatini in 2024. The adoption of official regulations last year rebranded it as the SADC Anti-Corruption Expo and Games.