IMELDA AMBONDO
Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare has warned that corruption in the public service is a great risk that compromises essential services including healthcare and education delivery.
He was speaking at the commemoration of Global Ethics Day under the theme “Ethics Re-Envisioned’ on Wednesday
The global observance, initiated over a decade ago by the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs in New York, encourages institutions and individuals worldwide to reflect on the critical role of ethics in shaping just and responsible societies.
“Corruption is a result of unethical conduct that negatively impacts on socio-economic development. It robs our country of resources and infrastructure development meant to improve the living conditions of our people,” said Dr. Ngurare.
He urged Namibians to embed ethics in all areas of life from workplaces to communities adding that even poor service delivery amounts to corruption.
“We cannot achieve the dreams of our fellow Namibians when we are entrapped in unethical behaviour. Let us start embedding ethics in our organisations, churches, schools, and workplaces,” he said.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the need for stronger whistleblower protection mechanisms, assuring that the government would continue working to ensure legislation is enacted and enforced to guarantee safety for whistleblowers.
Addressing the gathering, Advocate Bience Gawanas, Chancellor of the University of Warwick and former UN Special Adviser on Africa, emphasised that ethical conduct is essential for improving the lives of the most vulnerable Namibians.
“Improving the standard of living of the marginalised and most vulnerable members of our society requires delivering effective and efficient service, which is a result of high ethical standards,” she said.
Advocate Gawanas said that corruption deprives citizens of essential services such as food, housing, education, and healthcare. She described ethics as a personal compass:
“When you go to bed at night after making a decision, ask yourself can you sleep peacefully? Can you wake up the next morning and not see your name on the front page for wrongdoing? That is what ethics means to me.” said Gawanas.
Chairperson of the GIPF Board of Trustees, Penda Ithindi described Global Ethics Day as a vital platform for organisations to rekindle ethical values and principles shaping governance and corporate practice.
“The 2025 Global Ethics Day theme, ‘Ethics Re-Envisioned’, is timely and relevant. Around the world, we see significant changes testing global decision-making and governance. This theme summons us to revisit, reimagine, and recommit ourselves to ethical leadership and corporate governance,” he said.
Ithindi said GIPF’s asset base stood at N$193.6 billion as of August 2025, representing about 70% of Namibia’s Gross Domestic Product.
GIPF Chief Executive Officer, Martin Inkumbi, said Global Ethics Day serves as a reminder that ethics is not a set of rules but a way of life that shapes every decision and interaction.
“Ethics creates trust and breeds legitimacy in the eyes of all that we are associated with. When employees uphold integrity in their daily actions, it leads to trust, and trust is the foundation of performance,” he said.
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