Namibia Human Rights

Human Rights Concerns

Namibia's President, Hifikepunye Pohamba, succeeded the first president, Sam Nujoma, by democratic election in 2004 in polls generally considered both free and fair. The 2008 Country Report on Human Rights issued by the US State Department indicates that despite the general respect for human rights in the country, persistent problems do exist. These include: “police use of excessive force; poor conditions in prisons and detention centers; arbitrary arrest, prolonged pretrial detention and long delays in trials; government criticism of the media and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); attacks, harassment, and intimidation of opposition members by some SWAPO supporters; and official corruption. Societal abuses included violence against women and children, including rape and child abuse; discrimination against women, ethnic minorities, and indigenous peoples; and child labor.”

On the issue of prison conditions and overcrowding, the same report attests that “prisons and detention centers were overcrowded, poorly maintained, and lacked basic sanitation and adequate food. In April the newspaper The Namibian reported that Windhoek Central Prison held 1,172 prisoners, almost 30 percent over its official capacity of 912 prisoners. The government-owned New Era newspaper reported during the year that one police holding facility designed to accommodate 105 persons held 224.”

It should also be emphasized that food security remains an area of concern for many countries throughout the southern African region.

According to ReliefWeb and many other sources, much of northern Namibia was affected by flood waters during the first quarter of 2009. The flooding caused 40,000 people to lose their homes and there is continuing concern over the fate of these flood victims. Over 100,000 children are not able to attend school because hundreds of schools remain closed. Sources of clean, fresh water are in short supply in addition to food and other supplies.

Namibia is also attempting to cope with abuses that took place a decade ago. On August 30, 2008, the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) announced the discovery of possible mass graves along the country's border with Angola. According to the US State Department, “The NSHR alleged the graves could be linked to "enforced disappearances" in Caprivi and Kavongo regions between 1994 and 2003. The government subsequently investigated one of the grave sites, which contained the remains of five political activists who were killed without trial by South African security forces in 1972. Government officials claimed the site was well known and did not represent a new finding. The NSHR contested the government's claim that the gravesite was publicly known and argued that the government should reveal all information it had on mass graves. None of the other mass graves had been investigated by year's end.”

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