Itula questions ACC impact after Noah's decade-long leadership

Opposition leader Dr Panduleni Itula has questioned whether Namibia’s anti-corruption fight has produced meaningful results, arguing that leadership must be judged by outcomes rather than policies and workshops alone.

In a statement issued on Tuesday to mark nearly a decade of Paulus Noah’s tenure as head of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Itula said restoring public confidence requires visible accountability, particularly in high-profile cases. “Leadership must ultimately be measured not by frameworks and workshops alone, but by outcomes that restore public confidence,” he said.

While acknowledging that continuity at the ACC has brought institutional stability, including investments in public awareness and prevention strategies, Itula said these efforts have not translated into decisive consequences for serious wrongdoing.

He argued that Namibia has, over the past decade, seen repeated revelations of grand corruption, procurement abuse and conduct resembling state capture, while convictions have failed to match the gravity of the allegations.

This disconnect, he warned, has fuelled public cynicism, normalised impunity and weakened trust between citizens and the state. Itula stressed that responsibility does not rest with the ACC alone, citing constraints within the wider criminal justice system, including prosecutorial and court bottlenecks. However, he said anti-corruption institutions must be “independent in law and fearless in practice”.

Calling for a renewed anti-corruption architecture, Itula said the next phase must prioritise stronger coordination, legislative reform, transparency and the principle that no one is above the law.