Dilapidated prisons worry Iipumbu
Hertta-Maria Amutenja
The minister of home affairs, immigration, safety and security, Lucia Iipumbu, says the country is struggling with old and unsafe correctional facilities.
Iipumbu made this statement during the fifth English-speaking Regional Workshop on Prison Infrastructure in Africa, which was held in Windhoek on Monday.
“We are grappling with old and dilapidated prison facilities, making them unsafe and inhumane to accommodate inmates,” Iipumbu said.
She said the Correctional Service Act of 2012 gives the legal basis for improving prison infrastructure.
“To support this shift, we have embarked on infrastructure projects at the Windhoek, Hardap, and Evaristus Shikongo correctional centres,” she said.
The workshop is co-hosted by the Namibian Correctional Service and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). It brings together prison and justice officials from several English-speaking African countries.
Commissioner-general of the Namibian Correctional Service (NCS) Raphael Hamunyela said prison infrastructure is a challenge across the continent.
“Prison infrastructure, particularly in Africa, has not been at a satisfactory standard, and this has posed challenges to us as heads of correctional, prisons and penitentiary services,” he said.
He said the gathering provides a chance to reflect on challenges and share solutions.
“This workshop is testament that there is a wider realisation that there is a need to address the challenge of prison infrastructure in Africa,” he said.
Jules Amoti, head of the ICRC Regional Delegation for Southern Africa, said many African prisons remain overcrowded and outdated.
“Prison overcrowding in Africa remains a reality, with an average occupancy rate of 170%,” Amoti said. “Normalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration are virtually impossible in such conditions.”
He said that despite 25 African countries building or planning nearly 500 new prisons in the last decade, many are not suited to local needs.
“In the absence of national standards or localised expertise, too many facilities are designed without reference to cultural norms, climate realities, or the correctional goals of the countries in which they are built,” said Amoti.
He told the workshop attendees that poor design affects health care and rehabilitation services.
He called for facilities that meet the needs of women, children, elderly people, and those with disabilities.
“Neglected or poorly designed facilities not only threaten detainees’ dignity but also compromise the mental and physical well-being of staff and undermine public health,” he said.
The remarks follow a report released earlier this year by a parliamentary standing committee.
The report, submitted on 19 February, found Namibia’s correctional facilities to be in a “deplorable condition”.
It highlighted overcrowding, crumbling infrastructure, and resource shortages, especially in the Erongo and Zambezi regions.
According to the report, some cells hold between 200 and 300% of their capacity. Katima Mulilo Police Station houses over 2,000 inmates in a space built for 80.
Mondesa Police Station was declared uninhabitable by health inspectors.
The report also found that 70 to 80% of police vehicles were not working, and uniforms were reused for up to 20 years.
It flagged nutritional shortages, delayed psychiatric evaluations, and poor water supply at places like Osire Refugee Camp.
It recommended infrastructure upgrades, efforts to ease overcrowding, and policy changes to improve human rights and reduce repeat offences.
The workshop is supported by the African Correctional Services Association, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the International Corrections and Prisons Association.
