The Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety, and Security acknowledged the growing threat of drug trafficking in communities and urged locals to take collective action.
Lucia Iipumbu said the fight against drugs cannot be left to law enforcement alone, but must be rooted in stronger community policing.
During the 2024-2025 financial year, the ministry managed to confiscate illicit drugs estimated at N$58 million during police operations, where 1,750 suspects were arrested.
Iipumbu, however, said it remains a growing issue and requires community policing to combat drug trafficking.
"The men and women networks, the neighbourhood watch programmes and, of course, the police reservists – we need to strengthen those activities within our communities. And we, as parents, sometimes are the culprits; we know that our children are trafficking and using drugs, but at the end of the day, we are bringing in the police, and as parents, we don't come out and reveal this so they can be assisted. It's not that when you do that your children will be apprehended and taken to the cells, but there are also rehabilitation programmes that can be taken on for these individuals."
Members of parliament, on the other hand, also called on the ministry to give urgent attention to the human rights of inmates, particularly in cases of sexual violence in prisons.
Calls for fairer access to services such as free duplication of essential documents were also raised, as well as transparency in promotion practices within the police force.
They highlighted the serious issue of sodomy in prisons, emphasising the violation of inmates' rights when they are subjected to sexual assault unwillingly and the state's failure to protect them. PDM President McHenry Venaani stressed the lack of control over inmates' rights in such cases, including risks of contracting diseases like AIDS.
Transparency and fairness in promotion practices within the police force were also brought to attention. Assoc. Prof. Job Amupanda, leader of the AR party, recounted a case where a police officer’s promotion was delayed for over two years and only granted shortly before retirement, highlighting the lack of justice and predictability in the promotion system. He urged that discussions be held to make promotions more transparent and equitable.
Swapo Party MP Gaudentia Khrone pointed out that many clients cannot afford the fees for duplicating documents, and despite requests, the Home Affairs department has not issued directives to provide these services free of charge, except for birth confirmation forms. She called on the minister to intervene in this matter.