EDITORIAL: Ground the frequent flyers

President Nangolo Mbumba’s directive to suspend foreign trips for state officials until President-elect Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah assumes office is a step in the right direction. However, it’s merely a drop in the ocean of what truly needs to happen.For far too long, foreign travel has served as a leisure sport for Namibian leaders, yielding little more than depleted treasury accounts. The returns on these trips are negligible, yet the costs are astronomical. Nandi-Ndaitwah must firmly take the reins and implement strict controls to curb unnecessary overseas jaunts once she takes office.Even domestic travel warrants scrutiny. Cabinet "retreats" to Swakopmund – when venues in Windhoek would suffice – are just thinly veiled excuses for extravagance. These so-called retreats have become synonymous with wasteful spending, punctuated by leisurely strolls along the beaches, all while state finances buckle under pressure.Late President Hage Geingob, upon entering State House, vowed to rein in foreign travel expenses. Yet, it wasn’t long before he became one of the most frequent flyers himself. His unfulfilled promise underscores the urgency of implementing systemic reforms to address this glaring issue.The culture of unchecked travel expenditure is further illustrated by scandals such as that involving higher education minister Itah Kandjii-Murangi. After exhausting her ministerial travel budget, she reportedly pressured public enterprises under her portfolio to fund additional trips. When questioned by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), she offered no meaningful justification, only empty hands and overstuffed travel allowance pockets.With her new mandate, Nandi-Ndaitwah must take bold steps to turn the tide, ensuring state resources are channelled toward meaningful development, not exaggerated personal luxuries.

EDITORIAL: Ground the frequent flyers

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-07

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EDITORIAL: Ground the frequent flyers

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-07

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