Control Prosecutor in the office of the Prosecutor General, Soraya Petrus, has raised concern that the low number of trafficking in persons cases reported in the two Kavango regions could be due to a lack of understanding.

"There are only two cases currently pending on our Rundu court roll, of which one was reported during 2022 and the last one, which is still under investigation, was reported during 2024. One wonders why, in almost four years, only two cases have been registered with the police. What my mind tells me is that there is a lack of public awareness as to what trafficking in persons actually means to the public," she said. 

Petrus added that more needs to be done to raise awareness. "Our law enforcement agencies, who have a responsibility for the detection and investigation of cases of human trafficking, also lack the understanding of what trafficking in persons means, how they are committed, etc. As far as I know, the two areas have similar issues, like child domestic labour and rampant teen pregnancy, as in other parts of this brave land."

All stakeholders are called upon to dedicate efforts to fight the international endemic scourge, which is mostly destroying women and young girls.

"Although significant efforts have been made since 2016, particularly on training of law enforcement officers on trafficking, these efforts are affected by the financial constraints. We are grateful to the central government for continuing to provide resources to the Namibian police force so it can focus on its mandate. The Force will continue to work hand-in-hand with all relevant partners to capacitate officers and raise awareness with stakeholders," said police chief Joseph Shikongo.