EDITORIAL: In Namcor corruption case, arrogance is dressed as business

The Namcor-Enercon saga is a stark reminder that public funds carry a responsibility that cannot be ignored. N$53 million of Namibian taxpayers’ money was paid with the expectation of tangible assets or a clear path to repayment. Yet today, neither has been delivered. To label this outcome simply as “a business deal gone wrong” is not merely inadequate — it diminishes the seriousness of the breach.

In standard commercial practice, failed transactions have predictable remedies: the buyer receives the goods, or the payment is returned. Namcor has received neither. It’s a brazen gamble that the law will somehow look the other way, as if Namibia’s collective memory can be switched off like a faulty generator.

Citizens are now asked to accept that the state has no case, effectively suggesting that public funds can be stolen with impunity. This is not only unacceptable, it is deeply troubling.

If Enercon faced legal or logistical barriers in transferring the fuel storage facilities, there existed a responsible course of action: return the money, or negotiate a structured repayment. Anything short of that can only be described as a poorly-hatched plan to steal. Accountability cannot be optional, nor can public trust be taken for granted.

While the presumption of innocence remains, the facts on the ground demand scrutiny and swift resolution. With every unanswered question and every unreturned dollar, that presumption looks thinner than a razor’s edge. The public is entitled to clarity, restitution, and assurance that such behaviour has no home in our republican life. Namibia’s institutions must demonstrate that mismanagement of state resources carries consequences.

This case is more than a financial dispute; it is a test of governance and accountability. How it is resolved will signal to all Namibians whether accountability is truly upheld or merely a phrase in a report.