The Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, Lucia Iipumbu, has commended staff members for a job well done but said there are still serious issues that need to be addressed, including the unacceptable behaviour of some staff.

Iipumbu, who was addressing staff members in Rundu, said Kavango East Region has recorded a 10 percent reduction in crime between January 2024 and July 2025.

The Namibia Correctional Service’s Divundu facility was also commended for its agricultural production and the rehabilitation of inmates.

However, the minister raised concerns regarding overcrowding in police holding cells and Angolan children roaming the streets, as well as child marriage.

“The statistics show that here in Kavango East Region, there is still a high rate of child marriage, estimated at about 40%. We know that these incidents are driven by various factors, including poverty, lack of education on reproductive health matters, and a lack of parental care in some households. The children we see on the streets across the country are not here legally. To some extent, we have information on how they get here. We have attempted in the past to resolve their situation, but it did not help much before they resurfaced. We ask for time to engage at the highest level with their government to find a lasting solution to this issue.”

Iipumbu also called out unprofessional behaviour from certain staff members.

“I must speak plainly and firmly about the unacceptable attitude shown by a few. Complaints reach me at my level as well. There are two specific police officers, a male and a female, at Rundu Central Police Station. I never got their names because they do not wear name tags, but they have been reported to me twice for unacceptable conduct. Improve on this. Station Commander, I know you are here—please identify those individuals. What happened to the rest of us and our name tags? Where are they? Can we be identified? Sometimes people are treated poorly because officers believe they cannot be identified.”

The minister warned that she will be making unannounced visits to various offices.

“I have the authority to instruct you to issue warnings or recommend dismissal if staff members do not comply. I cannot fire you myself, as the law does not allow it, but I will request those who are legally empowered to take such action