Patience Makwele
Travellers are reporting delays and disrupted immigration services at the Ngoma Border Post.
They are raising concerns about staffing levels and operations at one of Namibia’s key entry points into Botswana.
Several travellers who spoke to the Windhoek Observer said they waited for hours without assistance during peak morning movement on Wednesday.
Some described confusion at the counters and poor communication about when services would resume.
“I got there just after sunrise and nothing was moving. People were just standing around, with no explanations,” said traveller Sisco Simasiku, who was travelling into Namibia from Kasane.
Another traveller said the delay disrupted transport plans.
“You don’t expect to be stuck at a border for hours like that with no one telling you what’s going on,” the traveller said.
Travellers said operations later returned to normal, with two immigration officers processing arrivals and departures.
Control immigration officer Irvine Mushanana confirmed that the disruption followed a medical emergency involving the officer who opened the border post at around 10h00 on Thursday.
Mushanana said services resumed around 11h00 after additional officers were deployed.
He also acknowledged ongoing staffing shortages at the border post, especially during busy periods.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security later issued a public notice apologising for the delays and inconvenience caused to travellers.
The ministry announced that it had already implemented corrective measures, such as permanently assigning additional immigration officers to enhance service delivery at the border post.
Political analyst Joubert Harushando said border operations become vulnerable when staffing levels are too low.
“When one officer is incapacitated and the system slows down to that extent, it suggests over-reliance on minimal staffing levels. Borders require redundancy built into operations,” Harushando said.
He added that the border post has faced similar criticism before.
“This is not a new problem; it has been happening and it once attracted media attention,” he said.
Harushando said authorities should focus on long-term operational reforms, including better staffing models and contingency planning.
Political governance commentator Charlie Sikwela said border delays also affect public confidence in government services.
“Border posts are the first impression of the state. When travellers experience long, unexplained delays, it affects confidence in service delivery and raises questions about preparedness,” she said.
Residents living near the border also spoke about repeated disruptions.
A taxi operator who transports passengers to the border said delays often affect business.
“Sometimes it runs smoothly, sometimes it just stops. When it stops, we lose clients and money because passengers miss buses and connections,” he said.
Another resident said staffing problems are often noticeable during early morning shifts and shift changes.
