Namibia is ‘safe’, majority says

Although the majority of Namibians say the country is a safe place to live, levels of fear over crime are on the rise. This is according to the latest Afrobarometer study, which found that three out of four Namibians consider the country a safe place to live.It said 74% of respondents believe Namibia is a somewhat safe (39%) or very safe (35%) country to live in, while 15% feel it is somewhat unsafe and 10% say it is unsafe to live in Namibia.Urban and rural residents differ little in the degree of safety they feel, with 35% of urban residents considering Namibia very safe and 33% of rural residents saying the country is safe.Women are, however, somewhat more likely than men to view Namibia as unsafe, with 27% compared to 21%.Regarding the improvement of safety and security, 74% say Namibia is safer now than it was five years ago, while 23% feel the country has become less safe.Meanwhile, more than half of Namibians say they experienced fear of crime in their homes and felt unsafe walking home in their neighbourhoods during the past year.Decade-highThe study indicated that 52% of Namibians say they experienced fear of crime in their homes, which is the highest number recorded almost a decade, according to Afrobarometer.In 2012, the level of fear was recorded at a mere 17%.It also showed that 59% of Namibians say they felt unsafe walking in their neighbourhoods at least once during the past year. This was also the highest number since 2012, when it was only 32%.According to the survey, when faced with a security concern, almost half (46%) of citizens say they first turn to the police. A total of 27% seek assistance first from family members, while only 11% go to community leaders first.However, rural residents are more likely than their urban counterparts to reach out to a community leader for assistance (17% vs 6%).Older citizens also turn more frequently to community leaders (27%) than younger people (18%).Theft and break-ins (27%) rank as the most serious threat to safety and security in the eyes of Namibians, followed by robberies (14%), drugs and alcohol (11%) and then livestock theft (11%), while only 5% perceive gender-based violence as a threat.

Namibia is ‘safe’, majority says

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-07

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Namibia is ‘safe’, majority says

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-07

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