EDITORIAL: Who polices the police?

Crimes and abuses committed by those entrusted with enforcing the law in Namibia are on the rise, exposing a disturbing gap in accountability within the country’s security apparatus. Increasingly, our courts are flooded with cases of citizens suing members of the Namibian Police and the Namibia Defence Force, often for assault and abuse of power.

While justice has been served in some instances, the bitter reality remains: justice in Namibia comes with a price tag. For the overwhelming majority of citizens who lack the financial resources to hire lawyers, the only recourse is silent endurance, absorbing abuse they cannot afford to challenge. Elsewhere in the world, independent bodies exist to investigate complaints against armed forces members, offering a semblance of impartiality. But in Namibia, such mechanisms are absent, leaving the system dangerously self-regulated. This conflict is glaringly evident in cases where officers are tasked with investigating their own colleagues. The cracks in this system are impossible to ignore. This week, allegations emerged linking police officers to the suspicious disappearance of 446 diamond parcels belonging to Namdia. Asking the police to investigate themselves in such high-stakes matters is not just ambitious – it borders on farcical. Even more troubling is the ongoing investigation into the fatal road accident involving police inspector general Joseph Shikongo. The investigation is being handled by his subordinate, the Erongo regional commander. While Shikongo cannot be personally faulted for this structural flaw, the situation lays bare a system that is not just flawed but inherently incapable of impartiality.

Namibia’s justice system must evolve to restore public trust in its security forces. Independent oversight bodies are no longer a luxury – they are a necessity.