Stakeholders in the Hardap Region have called for affordable internet data costs while expressing concerns about unreliable network connectivity in some areas.

They shared these sentiments during a high-level stakeholder engagement convened by Information and Communication Technology Minister Emma Theofelus in Mariental.

Councillor for the Gibeon Village Council, Niklaas Dawson, said, "Gibeon is one of the largest villages—if not the largest—in Namibia. Why are your services so poor? Why is there zero, or almost zero, reception from Telecom Namibia in Gibeon?"

Also contributing was Desire Pieters, PRO of the Rehoboth Town Council, who said, "In the offices we serve as politicians and political administrators, we are subjected to cyberbullying. How are we being protected? And is there a regulation to help us fight cyberbullying?"

ICT providers, mainly from government parastatals, responded to the concerns.

Both Minister Theofelus and MICT Executive Director Linda Aipinge-Nakale also addressed cyberbullying concerns.

"The regulations are in the Cybercrime Bill, which makes provision for that. But what we always emphasise is that a crime is a crime, whether committed offline or online. It must be reported, and police will investigate," said Aipinge.

Theofelus responded that "we're also looking to close gaps in existing laws against defamation, because it poses serious reputational risk to people, institutions, and businesses. People must be held accountable—you cannot think that just because you're sitting behind a screen typing, you can get away with what's untrue, false, and damaging. That law will close that gap."

The minister further encouraged reporting cyberbullying to the police.