Sostenus Wilherm
The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) has called for disciplinary action against officials responsible for financial irregularities at the ministry of home affairs, immigration, safety and security.
This followed an Auditor-General’s report that flagged N$14.11 million in stock discrepancies.
In a media release issued on Wednesday, IPC deputy shadow minister of home affairs, immigration, safety and security, Vilho Ihemba, said the findings exposed serious weaknesses in financial management and accountability within the ministry and the Namibian Police Force (NamPol).
The reported discrepancies comprise N$10.09 million in the ministry and N$4.02 million in NamPol.
The party called for outstanding commitments, stock discrepancies and suspense account imbalances to be resolved and urged the government to take disciplinary or legal action against officials found responsible for negligence, unauthorised spending or failure to maintain supporting documentation.
“Public funds belong to the people of Namibia. Accounting for every cent is not an administrative courtesy but a constitutional duty,” Ihemba said.
The concerns form part of the Auditor-General’s report on the ministry’s accounts for the financial year ended 31 March 2025.
According to the IPC, the report also identified 36 unauthorised transactions amounting to N$10.50 million, including main divisions that exceeded their approved allocations by N$3.23 million and 16 operational subdivisions that overspent their limits.
Ihemba said the transactions pointed to weaknesses in budgetary controls and compliance with the State Finance Act of 1991.
The IPC further raised concern over N$142.28 million in unverified commitments, compared with N$41.76 million in unspent funds, questioning the ministry’s budget planning and ability to translate allocated resources into service delivery.
“The release of the Auditor-General’s report on the accounts of the ministry of home affairs, immigration, safety and security for the financial year ended 31 March 2025 is not merely a collection of accounting anomalies; it is a damning indictment of a systemic failure of leadership, governance, and accountability,” Ihemba said.
The party also questioned the management of government vehicles after the accounting officer reportedly recorded 361 accidents during the financial year, with estimated repair costs of N$4.98 million.
Of these, 86 accidents, involving estimated repair costs of N$578,971.61, fell outside the reporting period, according to the IPC’s account of the audit findings.
Ihemba questioned whether NamPol had adequate systems to ensure that officers operating state vehicles were properly trained and held accountable for accidents.
“How can a security cluster tasked with national safety treat state vehicles like disposable toys while citizens bear the financial burden of millions in avoidable repair costs?” Ihemba asked.
The IPC called for mandatory advanced driver training and strict verification of licences for all NamPol personnel authorised to operate government vehicles.
It also proposed that officials be held liable where negligent damage to state vehicles is established.
In another concern, the party questioned the reported expenditure of N$4.95 million on the Kuisebmund Police Station after the project was officially closed on 21 June 2023.
Ihemba said the expenditure raised questions about project management and the controls governing payments after the closure of public infrastructure projects.
The IPC wants internal audit units strengthened to monitor project closures in real time and ensure that payments made after closure are independently verified.
The party also called for the modernisation of financial management systems to address recurring problems involving late invoice submissions and exchange-rate miscalculations.
Ihemba argued that administrative explanations, including supplier delays, cumbersome vetting processes and unapproved budget reallocations, should not be used to avoid responsibility for financial management failures.
“Leadership must lead, or they must step aside,” Ihemba said.
The IPC said the findings should serve as a warning to the government, arguing that weaknesses in financial controls could undermine the effectiveness of NamPol and other divisions responsible for immigration control and civil registration.
The party urged the ministry to strengthen internal controls, ensure proper asset registers and valuations, and take action against officials found responsible for irregularities.
Ihemba said the government must demonstrate accountability through corrective measures rather than explanations, adding that the management of public resources was central to public trust and effective service delivery.
“Namibia is all we have. We must and can save it from financial recklessness and poor governance,” Ihemba said.
