Overcrowding in the holding cells at the Rundu Police Station has become a matter of concern.

Station Commander Chief Inspector Heremine Muranda says they are now challenged with providing effective service delivery to the inmates.  

Muranda was speaking during a visit by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence, and Security on Thursday.

The Rundu police station cells cater for two other police stations, namely Ndama and Kehemu.

It has the capacity to hold about a hundred inmates.

Chief Inspector Muranda, told nbc News that they always exceed capacity.

At the time of the interview, Chief Inspector Muranda confirmed that there were 270 inmates, with the number expected to increase.

Muranda says that in a cell made to hold only ten inmates, 45 to 50 are squeezed in.

She says the total is not equally distributed, as juveniles are kept separate, as are foreigners, and females are separated from males.

Apart from the overcrowded cells, Chief Inspector Muranda also stated that the kitchen is lacking utensils.

Due to that, inmates only have two meals a day instead of three.

The kitchen is operating with one cook at the moment.

At the meeting, Kavango East Crime Investigations Coordinator Deputy Inspector Bonifatius Kanyetu added that, apart from the increase in inmate population, a lack of investigators is leading to a delay in solving cases.

He says instead of working on 50 dockets as required, one investigator can have more than 150 dockets.