ACC must ‘do more’, says Eiseb

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) needs to do more to combat corruption in the Erongo region, director general Bryan Eiseb says.Eiseb spoke at a media briefing in Swakopmund on Tuesday, where he announced that the watchdog received 20 corruption cases from the region in the 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years, and all remain under investigation.“I believe we need to do more, and we need to accelerate the prevention efforts and the combating efforts that we have employed in the region,” he said.He linked this to the region’s oil and gas prospects.“We all speak about oil and gas, we all speak about the potential of what it holds for us as a developing country. But I believe that corruption may as well derail those hopes,” he said.Only one convictionThe 20 cases form part of 55 Erongo cases under investigation. The other 35 were reported before the period under review.Eiseb said the ACC’s Erongo office handled 94 active cases over the two financial years, including a backlog from previous years.Of these, 21 are before court and seven await a decision by the prosecutor general. The prosecutor general referred four back to the ACC for further investigation.Five were closed for lack of evidence, and one is pending arrest.“And sadly, only one case has resulted in a conviction. Not that we espouse convictions as the ultimate solution to corruption, but the law has to follow its course,” Eiseb said.The cases involve bribery, fraud, abuse of office and public procurement. The ACC chief said bribery is the most reported offence in the region, including attempts to bribe NamRA officials, officials at the vehicle registration office NaTIS and customs officials.“Several cases reported to the commission during the period under review show that corruption remains a moderate to serious concern in the Erongo region and requires sustained collective intervention,” he said.Fillemon Enkali, senior public education and corruption prevention officer at the ACC Swakopmund office, said some institutions refuse when the commission asks to address or train their staff on anti-graft practices and awareness.“We always hear excuses here and there, and that is actually affecting the work of the ACC very much,” he said.He said a shortage of funds also hampers the office’s work. He called for intervention by senior officials and said institutions should budget for implementing the national anti-corruption strategy.Eiseb officially took over as ACC director general on 1 October.

ACC must ‘do more’, says Eiseb

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-15

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ACC must ‘do more’, says Eiseb

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-15

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