Namibia has recorded six cases of trafficking in persons between June 2024 and June this year.
This was shared during the commemoration of the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons held at Rundu.
Trafficking in persons occurs within the country and between the regions as well as across the borders.
Trafficking victims are deceived by false promises of love, employment opportunities, and a lifestyle characterised by comfort, but they end up being exploited for the benefit of their traffickers.
Police Inspector General Joseph Shikongo shared that, although human trafficking is not alarming in Namibia, reported and detected cases are slowly picking up.
"Additionally, three cases of trafficking in persons were prosecuted during the period under review. It is also worth noting that five victims of trafficking in persons were repatriated back to Namibia from Myanmar, and one was repatriated from Laos, Southeast Asia, while four victims of trafficking in persons were repatriated from Namibia to Angola, two from Botswana, and one from Zambia, respectively, between June 2024 and June 2025. The Force has also observed a trend of trafficking involving young men and women between Angola and Namibia, Zambia and Namibia, and Zimbabwe and Namibia, as well as between Namibia and Botswana, particularly for purposes of employment as cattle herders, domestic workers, and fraudulent online cryptocurrency schemes."
Shikongo called on all police regional commanders in regions bordering neighbouring countries to initiate joint efforts to curb the situation.
The Minister of International Relations and Trade, Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, highlighted that the safety of children and members of the community is not only a responsibility of the law enforcement agencies, but parents also have a role to play.
She highlighted the efforts the government has made to tackle trafficking in persons.
"We ratified the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, in 2002. Namibia has also ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, including its optional protocol. In addition, several national laws have been put in place, and we're in synergy to address trafficking in persons, such as the Combating of Rape Act, the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, the Labour Act of 2007, the Child Care and Protection Act of 2015, and the Immigration Control Act of 1993."
The government has also established a national high-level committee and a specialised court unit to handle these cases.