Allexer Namundjembo
Popular Democratic Movement member of parliament Winnie Moongo has tabled a series of questions for the minister of home affairs, immigration, safety and security, Lucia Iipumbu, over what she described as “persistent administrative and operational deficiencies” affecting police stations across Namibia.
In a notice of question set for Thursday, Moongo said communities continue to raise concerns about inadequate fleet management, weak logistical coordination, delayed vehicle and infrastructure maintenance, and uneven distribution of resources between regions.
She added that some border patrol activities have allegedly been suspended for extended periods due to transport constraints.
“Police officers are expected to operate within overstretched administrative systems that negatively affect response times, service delivery and public confidence in law enforcement institutions,” she said.
Moongo is asking the minister how many police stations are currently operating without adequate vehicles and what actions have been implemented to address persistent delays in vehicle maintenance and repairs within the police fleet.
she also wants to know the impact of the suspension of border patrol operations on border security and what measures have been implemented to mitigate any resulting security risks.
“The concerns expressed by communities across Namibia continue to expose a persistent pattern of administrative and operational deficiencies that are adversely affecting the effectiveness and service delivery of police stations nationwide,” she said in the notice.
Among her questions, Moongo asked what criteria the ministry uses to determine the allocation of operational resources between urban and rural police stations.
She further questioned what accountability strategies are in place where operational failures are linked to poor management, negligence or ineffective resource utilization.
She is also pressing the ministry for a timeline to restore full operational capacity to police stations currently affected by vehicle shortages and logistical and administrative constraints.
The questions come amid ongoing public debate over police visibility and response times, particularly in rural areas.
Iipumbu is expected to respond to the questions in the National Assembly next week.
Last year, the Namibian police received 164 new vehicles to enhance law-enforcement operations across all 14 regions.
The vehicles were handed over as part of a government- and stakeholder-funded initiative aimed at strengthening service delivery and improving police mobility.
At the time, suspended Namibian Police Inspector-General Josef Shikongo said the additional fleet would support the force’s operational readiness, particularly during the festive season.
Shikongo added that the new vehicles would enable officers to respond more efficiently to incidents and extend their presence in communities beyond the holiday period.
