Select Page

Zero tolerance for misconduct or any form of corruption

Zero tolerance for misconduct or any form of corruption

Edla Kaumbi occupies a unique position in the country’s biggest bank. As Ethics and Integrity Manager she is responsible for her own employer’s ethics, her colleagues’ conduct, and their relationships with their customers.

As the biggest Namibian Bank, FNB Namibia again set the trend this week when it launched a zero tolerance campaign stating publicly it will not tolerate any form of wrongdoing, from minor to criminal, in any of its dealings both internal and external.

Kaumbi said “FNB Namibia has launched a campaign in which employees as well as the general public are advised of the culture of zero tolerance for misconduct upheld at FNB Namibia in all aspects of business. Today, more than ever it seems as if corruption, fraud, theft, negligence or misconduct is rife worldwide and if not nipped in the bud, could lead to countries and economies losing millions of dollars which could have been spent on much needed educational or health initiatives.”

From a an internal survey done amongst the bank’s own employees, it surfaced that people are afraid to speak up when witnessing or learning about misdemeanours. The bank felt it prudent to conduct the survey as part of its broader risk assessment.

“We, however, encourage everyone to speak up against misconduct. There is zero tolerance for misconduct and it is our collective responsibility to get rid of it because we want to be a great business creating a better world,” she said.

To execute its strategy the bank has established a dedicated system of reporting making use of phone numbers and a digital interface. This is the guarantee that the identity of the reporter will not be compromised.

“Whistleblowing is international best practice and we should ensure that no one gets away with unethical, unprofessional or fraudulent behaviour. Everybody needs to understand that not reporting something means supporting it and this way we perpetuate bad conduct by doing nothing about it” explained Kaumbi adding that this is a natural extension of the bank’s high performance culture.


 

About The Author

Mandisa Rasmeni

Mandisa Rasmeni has worked as reporter at the Economist for the past five years, first on the entertainment beat but now focussing more on community, social and health reporting. She is a born writer and she believes education is the greatest equalizer. She received her degree in Journalism at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) in June 2021. . She is the epitome of perseverance, having started as the newspaper's receptionist in 2013.