Issues related to police operations, infrastructure development and accessibility to national documents came up during the discussion of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security's N$8.15 billion budget allocation.
IPC's Immanuel Nashinge said there are borders that do not have proper housing for staff.
Lukato Lukato of NDP said more police stations and substations of the police should be build.
" We appreciate the ongoing construction of regional offices, but these are stationary assets. They do not take service to the people." Said IPC's Vilho Ihemba:
George Kambala of Affirmative Repositioning said police responding to accidents need to be accompanied by health first responders.
Ambrosius Kumbwa, APP leader said: "It's very important that we also consider reserve police. We must help, we must come up with something that motivates these young people who are engaging themselves in crime."
IPC MP, Alosius Kangulu, raised concerned regarding forensics units not being adequately staffed.
"This institution was supposed to have a workforce of 115. And as we speak, we are about, it is about 73 or so," he said.
Foreign truck operators residing in the country illegally was also raised.
"We have a problem that is brewing in the truck industry. Some of the truckers are feeling that their jobs are being taken by foreigners that are staying here illegally and overstaying. Perhaps if we can set up roadblocks and work in conjunction with the Ministry of Works and Transport and the Ministry of Justice Labor just to see that illegality taking place," IPC's Nelson Kalangula noted.
Regarding housing at border posts, the minister responded that despite financial constraints, they try to make use of prefabricated materials in the meantime to address housing needs.
"There is some income that we are generating and we are in negotiation with the Minister of Finance for us to look at how some of the funds that we generate may be on visa and arrivals or no more visas in some other services that we are rendering on cost. To have at least a little percentage of that going to infrastructure development, and especially the borders and the checkpoints that you have made the references to," said Home Affairs minister Lucia Ipumbu.
In terms of acquiring national documents, the minister stated that mobile teams are often deployed to remote locations, and residents may also reach out to the ministry when such services are required.
On the staffing of the forensic unit, this was her response.
"This is a forensic science, it's a specific, specialized kind of skills. The challenge, it's a skills deficiency. That's why we only have 73 members of it now, but we are encouraging our young people to take up studies.
"You know, some of these are scary. This involves also the post-motems and all this, and many of us are discouraged to participate and engage in those activities."