Patience Makwele
Namibians with backgrounds in healthcare, law, psychology, agriculture and other fields have completed a three-month training programme to prepare them for duties within the Namibian Correctional Service (NCS).
A total of 296 trainees graduated from the 10th Basic Orientation Training Course, Intake 1/2026, at the National Youth Service’s Rietfontein Training Centre in the Otjozondjupa region on Tuesday.
The intake comprised 190 males and 106 females, drawn from different regions, cultures and professional backgrounds.
NCS Commissioner-General Raphael Hamunyela said the institution recruited people with different qualifications to strengthen its pool of specialised skills.
He said the graduates included professionals from healthcare, psychology, law, social work, theology, education, agriculture, artisan trades, sport and music.
“I am proud to announce that standing before you are your children, who came here 3 months ago as a group of professionals in their fields and now they are transformed into a team of security-conscious professionals of the NCS,” Hamunyela said.
He said the training was conducted in accordance with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, also known as the Nelson Mandela Rules.
Speaking on behalf of the graduates, Roux-Che Mulike said the trainees had learned to work together despite their different backgrounds and professional experiences.
She said they arrived at the centre on 1 August 2026 with different abilities and experiences, but were united by the purpose of serving the country.
Among the professions represented in the intake were pastors, cattle herders, doctors, lawyers, artisans, chess players, boxers and nurses.
Mulike said the three-month programme tested their physical endurance, mental resilience and determination, while equipping them with skills in time management, self-control and emotional intelligence.
“From strangers, we became a team,” she said.
She said the trainees also learned to live together despite their different cultures and ethnic backgrounds, while developing leadership skills through the training.
Home affairs, immigration, safety and security minister Lucia Iipumbu said the graduates would be deployed across the country.
She said their recruitment and training were part of the government’s efforts to strengthen public institutions and address unemployment.
“Today’s graduates are not merely entering employment. They are joining a profession entrusted with maintaining security, promoting justice, facilitating offender rehabilitation, and supporting successful reintegration into society,” Iipumbu said.
The training began with 310 trainees, of whom 296 completed the programme.
All graduating trainees passed, with the highest-performing trainee scoring 95% and the lowest scoring 53%.
