STATEMENT BY HON. NETUMBO NANDI-NDAITWAH, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION AT THE 3RD DR. THEO-BEN GURIRAB LECTURE
NIPAM, WINDHOEK, 25 JUNE 2018
Programme Director; Distinguished Panelists; Distinguished invited Guests; The Media Fraternity; Ladies and Gentlemen;
I warmly welcome you all to the Dr. Theo-Ben Gurirab Lecture. I would like to acknowledge the presence of our panelists, namely, Mr. Paulus Noa, Director General of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC); Ms. Leonie Dunn, Director Financial Intelligence Centre at the Bank of Namibia; Dr. Johan J. Coetzee, Senior Lecturer at the University of Science Technology (NUST); Ms. Charity Mwiya, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI), who are all going to enrich our discussions today. 
This is the third Lecture organized by the Ministry. Today the focus is on the theme of the African Union for this year, which is: “Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation”.
The selection of the anti-corruption theme is pertinent as it raises one of the most pervasive scourges impacting on good governance and socio-economic development in Africa.
In fact, corruption undermines the very fiber of the “Africa We Want” envisioned in the African Union Agenda 2063.
Corruption exacerbates poverty and it deepens inequality by diverting money needed for healthcare, education and other essential services in society.
Corruption impedes economic growth and increases the costs of doing business. It distorts markets and brings about the malfunctioning state institutions and weakens governance.