In a powerful address commemorating Global Ethics Day 2025, Martin Inkumbi, the Chief Executive Officer of the Government Institutions Pension Fund (GIPF), unveiled a new, locally managed whistleblowing tool, framing robust ethical practices not as a compliance cost but as a critical driver of financial performance and institutional resilience.
Speaking to a gathering of trustees, management, staff, member employers, and dignitaries including the Right Honourable Prime Minister Dr. Elijah Ngurare, Inkumbi articulated a vision of “Ethics Re-envisaged,” where moral principles are a dynamic, strategic enabler for the Fund’s long-term economic health.
“When employees uphold integrity in their daily action, it leads to trust, and trust is the foundation of performance,” Inkumbi stated, invoking Warren Buffet’s adage that it takes decades to build a reputation and minutes to ruin it. He argued that in a financial institution managing the retirement savings of countless Namibians, the cost of lost trust is immeasurable and directly impacts the Fund’s ability to deliver on its core mandate.
The centrepiece of the day’s announcements was the official introduction of a new whistleblower platform, managed by Deloitte Namibia. This strategic shift from a previous South African service provider to a local entity represents a significant enhancement. The new tool will offer services in several Namibian languages, broadening accessibility and fostering a more inclusive culture of accountability. Managed under the leadership of Deloitte Country Leader Ms. Melanie Harrison, the platform is positioned as a key technological upgrade to bolster transparency.
Inkumbi was clear on the economic rationale behind this investment. He positioned the tool as a vital component of risk management, designed to protect the Fund’s assets and reputation by enabling the early detection of malfeasance. He urged all staff and stakeholders to use the platform responsibly to report genuine ethical concerns, distinguishing it from channels for personal grievances or the unauthorized disclosure of confidential information to the media.
The CEO’s speech carried the weight of recent history, as he referenced a past incident of internal fraud that had attracted public scrutiny. He described the case, perpetrated by two employees who exploited control gaps, as a “painful reminder that ethical lapses can undo years of progress and damage institutional credibility.” However, he framed the Fund’s response—characterized by transparency, tightened controls, and reformed oversight—as a testament to its commitment to learning from failure. This experience, he suggested, underscored that true integrity is not about perfection, but about confronting wrongdoing decisively.
Linking ethics directly to the bottom line, Inkumbi explained that in an era of rapid digitalisation, where cyber threats and data breaches pose significant financial risks, a strong ethical culture remains the “first and strongest line of defence.” He argued that while technology improves efficiency, it is the human commitment to doing what is right that ultimately safeguards the institution from catastrophic losses.
The CEO elaborated on the Fund’s core values—Integrity, Teamwork, Service Excellence, and Care—insisting they are far more than corporate slogans. He defined them as an operational compass guiding every financial decision and member interaction. Integrity, he noted, means doing the right thing even when unobserved; Teamwork involves collaborative problem-solving for better outcomes; Service Excellence demands putting members’ financial security first; and Care requires acting with empathy in all operations.
In his closing remarks, Inkumbi made a compelling economic case for ethics, urging his colleagues to view their values not as a burden but as a distinct “competitive advantage.” He posited that a reputation for unwavering integrity inspires confidence among members and stakeholders, fosters loyalty, and ultimately drives superior performance. This, in turn, solidifies the GIPF’s position as a trustworthy custodian of national retirement funds, enabling it to pursue its strategic goal of becoming a “leading pension fund globally.”
By committing to turn “principles into progress” and “values into action,” Inkumbi concluded, the Fund ensures that every ethical choice contributes directly to securing better financial outcomes for its members and for the Namibian economy at large. The commemoration served as a stark reminder that in the high-stakes world of pension fund management, ethics is the bedrock upon which sustainable economic value is built.