PRESS RELEASE: No Tolerance for Fraud or Corruption at SSC

“Fraud and corruption, as well as unethical behaviour and unprofessionalism seem to be on the increase in Namibia and more often than not employees at parastatals or government institutions apparently are at the forefront of such behaviour.” So says Kephas Shatona, Manager: Internal Audit & Risk Management, Social Security Commission (SSC).

Shatona added that the funds of a parastatal or government institution are partly the funds of the nation as taxpayers money and these are used to fund the likes of Air Namibia, TransNamib, NHE (National Housing Enterprise) to name but a few. “Because we are in a privileged position to receive funds from tax payers and members, vigilance, professionalism and ethics should one of the most important aspects of any business,” says Shatona. He continued to say that Africa remained a continent of great opportunity for investors, but unfortunately the majority of countries included in the bottom half of Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perception Index were located on the African continent. Research has also been conducted into corruption levels in a variety of African countries and it is a pity that more than half of the people surveyed said that they had paid a bribe and more than 60% believed that corruption levels in their countries had increased. 

(Photograph: Mr. Kephas Shatona, Manager: Internal Audit & Risk Management, Social Security Commission)

Shatona: “Corruption and poor rule of law in Africa could prevent companies from operating and obtaining quality returns on investment on the continent and it makes investors weary of pouring funds into a country. This is turn hampers growth, a positive economic outlook and possible job creation. Any institution, be it private, corporate, parastatals or a ministry, should therefore at all times effectively assess and minimise risks and properly identify those risks. It is our duty to be accountable for every last cent we receive and spend.”

At the Social Security Commission employees are expected to be professional in their behaviour, diligent in the execution of their duties while conducting themselves in a manner appropriate to their service ethos at all times. Shatona added: “Our employees are called upon to serve their members in a fair and responsible manner. In helping to achieve the above, we have a Code of Ethics as well as a Fraud and Corruption policy in place.  As a strategic intent, we are planning to implement an organization wide Fraud Prevention Plan (FPP) in the near future. The FPP is aimed at fully embedding the prevention of fraud culture in the Commission and will be dealing with issues of fraud policy and response plan; fraud risk assessment; fraud awareness and training and reporting and monitoring mechanisms – whistleblowers.”

Transparency International conducted a study in Southern Africa in 2011 to ascertain the public’s perception on the corruption levels in the countries and the governments’ effort to fight corruption. The study titled ‘Daily Lives and Corruption: Public Opinion in Southern Africa’ included face-to-face interviews with over 6000 people in six Southern African countries, namely the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. According to the study, 56% of people surveyed in these Southern African countries stated that they have paid a bribe in the last 12 months. The study indicated that 62% of the people surveyed believed that the corruption levels in their countries have increased in the past three years and the police services are perceived to be the most corrupt institution in these countries.