Tuesday, 20 October 2026

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Tuesday, 20 October 2026

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Namibian press · Event

Child Care and Protection Act

2026-01-042026-10-20

News reports

Order a long-term news report on Child Care and Protection Act

Every mention in the Namibian press over the period you choose, compiled as a PDF or Word document.

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

October 2026
19 OctNew Era
… She said section 99 of the Child Care and Protection Act requires children born outside marriage to be treated equally with children born within marriage for inheritance and other purposes. …
Customary marriages not recognised
16 OctNew Era
… Maintenance grants after 18 For young people turning 18, the circular points to Chapter 16, Section 240(5) of the Child Care and Protection Act. …
Ministry fast-tracks grants for children
13 OctThe Namibian
… r by auditor general Junias Kandjeke shows that the ministry mistakenly paid N$323 million grants to ineligible recipients and deceased persons. “The audit found 32 890 beneficiaries aged 19-21 years who continued to receive child grants, despite the Child Care and Protection Act …
Audit finds N$28.8m in duplicate child grant payments
September 2026
24 SeptThe Namibian
… The bill requires the deputy ombudsman to serve as the children’s advocate, assisting with matters involving children under the Child Care and Protection Act. …
Ombudsman bill proposes N$20 000 fines for obstruction
August 2026
18 AugThe Namibian
… The Child Care and Protection Act prohibits marriages involving children below the age of 18. …
Child marriage robs Kavango
July 2026
16 JulNew Era
… The minister said the government’s approach is guided by the Child Care and Protection Act, which defines a child as anyone below the age of 18 and mandates the ministry to provide care and protection to vulnerable children. …
Govt takes street kids’ crisis head-on
May 2026
24 MayThe Namibian
… It cautions against resorting to desperate or criminal actions during childcare crises, reminding parents that the Child Care and Protection Act provides legal avenues for safe child abandonment when caregivers are unable to provide it. …
Gender ministry arranges family care for rescued Omusati babies
April 2026
29 AprThe Namibian
… The Child Care and Protection Act provides that a caregiver should not be prosecuted if a child is left in the care of a responsible person or at an approved place of safety. …
Woman arrested for pit latrine baby dumping
21 AprThe Namibian
… The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare has suggested that provisions in this law could form a new chapter in the Child Care and Protection Act if not enacted as a stand-alone statute. …
Problems With the Cybercrime Bill
15 AprThe Namibian
… 2026/27 financial year, of which N$140.3 million is earmarked for the programme. “This is a critical allocation, because it goes directly to the protection and well-being of children and vulnerable persons. “It will support the implementation of the Child Care and Protection Act …
Govt shelters 350 GBV, trafficking survivors

Society

Customary marriages lack legal recognition, leaving spouses vulnerable

The News

Customary marriages in Namibia remain unrecognised for general legal purposes, exposing traditionally married couples—particularly widows—to loss of property and inheritance rights. Legal experts and traditional leaders are calling for formalisation, noting that pending legislation like the Marriage Act 14 of 2024 has not yet commenced, leaving couples dependent on civil marriage certificates for protection.

12 hours ago · New Era →

Yesterday

Customary marriages lack legal recognition, leaving spouses vulnerable
Customary marriages in Namibia remain unrecognised for general legal purposes, exposing traditionally married couples—particularly widows—to loss of property and inheritance rights. Legal experts and traditional leaders are calling for formalisation, noting that pending legislation like the Marriage Act 14 of 2024 has not yet commenced, leaving couples dependent on civil marriage certificates for protection.
12 hours ago · New Era →

Friday 16 October

Ministry prioritizes vulnerable grant for highest-need families
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare has established a priority framework for the Vulnerable Grant, placing families with twins or triplets, households facing extreme food insecurity, and children unable to attend school due to financial hardship at the front of the queue for assistance.
16 October 2026 · New Era →

Tuesday 13 October

Audit finds N$28.8m in duplicate child grant payments
An audit of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare found that the government paid N$323 million in child grants to ineligible recipients and deceased persons, including N$28.8 million in duplicate payments to 2,778 beneficiaries and N$250 million annually to 32,890 adults aged 19–21 who no longer qualified under the Child Care and Protection Act.
13 October 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 24 September

Ombudsman bill proposes N$20,000 fines for obstruction
The ombudsman bill 2026, tabled in the National Assembly, proposes fines up to N$20,000 or 12-month jail terms for obstructing investigations, intimidating complainants, or interfering with evidence. The bill grants the office expanded investigative powers including entering premises, accessing documents, seizing evidence, and compelling people to appear and answer questions, while providing additional protections for private homes and communications.
24 September 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 18 August

Kavango West records four child marriage cases in two years
The Kavango West education directorate has recorded four child marriage cases over the past two years, including a 2024 attempt by a mother to remove a girl from school to marry an older man. Education director Pontianus Musore said schools are regularly sensitised on child marriage and encouraged to report cases to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, though some cases go unreported due to cultural practices and poverty.
18 August 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 16 July

Ministry identifies 373 street-connected children in 2023
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare identified 373 children living and working on the streets in 2023 and plans to conduct a regional study this year to determine actual numbers and social and economic factors driving children to street life. The Khomas region recorded the highest number of street-connected children.
16 July 2026 · New Era →

Sunday 24 May

Ministry arranges kinship care for Omusati twins rescued from drowning
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare is facilitating a kinship care arrangement for 9-month-old twin babies who survived an attempted drowning at Omutundungu village in Omusati last Sunday. A family member has stepped forward to assume full responsibility for the children, and the ministry commended the man who rescued them.
24 May 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 29 April

Woman arrested for dumping newborn in pit latrine
A 37-year-old domestic worker was arrested after allegedly giving birth and dumping a newborn boy in a pit latrine at Okafitu ka Kahala village in Outapi on Sunday. The case is being investigated as murder and defeating or obstructing the course of justice; Namibia decriminalized baby dumping in 2019 if infants are left unharmed at designated safe places such as hospitals and police stations.
29 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 21 April

Cybercrime bill has serious flaws, experts say
The final draft of Namibia's cybercrime bill contains multiple shortcomings including undefined terms around computer viruses, cyberbullying, and obscene images that could lead to unconstitutional restrictions on free speech and inadequate victim protection. The author argues the bill should be improved before parliamentary submission, citing concerns that key provisions lack clarity, may inhibit online speech, and could create practical enforcement problems.
21 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 15 April

Ministry shelters 347 GBV and trafficking survivors in past year
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare sheltered 347 survivors of gender-based violence, child abuse and trafficking in the past year through counselling and designated safe places. The ministry, allocated N$417 million for 2026/27, also accommodated 520 children in homes and shelters, provided psychosocial support to over 5,000 children, and recruited 21 additional social workers to strengthen response services.
15 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 31 March

Namibia's legal gaps leave surrogacy arrangements vulnerable to exploitation
Medical experts and legal analysts warn that Namibia lacks laws regulating surrogacy, creating risks of exploitation and trafficking, following a fraudulent advertisement offering N$800,000 to surrogates. While South Africa and Botswana have experience with regulated or unregulated surrogacy arrangements, Namibia's legal framework remains silent on the matter, leaving parties with no legal protection and prompting calls for amendments to the Child Care and Protection Act.
31 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 25 March

Swakopmund foundation rescues 49 babies, calls for national awareness
Ruach Elohim Foundation in Swakopmund has safely received 49 babies through its baby saver box since 2020, but its founder says there is a lack of visible national awareness and support following the decriminalisation of baby abandonment in 2019, with no consistent campaigns or signage to guide vulnerable mothers to safe alternatives.
25 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 24 March

Arrest of mother who left newborn at church sparks safe-haven law debate
A 36-year-old woman was arrested after leaving her newborn at a church in Ohangwena, raising questions about what locations legally qualify as "safe places" under Namibia's 2019 safe-haven policy. While some argue the mother's circumstances warrant consideration and the law permits leaving unharmed infants at churches, police and government officials contend the specific location—an empty church with the baby placed unattended on the floor—did not meet statutory requirements for a designated safe place.
24 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Tuesday 17 March

Angolan teenager escapes unpaid domestic labour in Oshikoto
A 16-year-old Angolan girl has been rescued from unpaid domestic work in Namibia's Oshikoto region after being beaten and starved by her 62-year-old employer, who promised her N$500 monthly wages she never received. The suspect has been arrested and faces charges including contraventions of the Child Care and Protection Act, assault, and human trafficking.
17 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 11 March

Windhoek Grade 1 pupil hospitalised after alleged assault by classmate's father
A 7-year-old boy was hospitalised at Windhoek Central Hospital after allegedly being assaulted by the father of a classmate who discovered his son crying after an incident at school. The Namibian government says it is investigating the matter, with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare condemning the incident and emphasising that no circumstance justifies violence against children.
11 March 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 18 February

Legal expert argues against mandatory DNA testing of newborns
A legal consultant outlines constitutional, privacy, safety, and practical objections to a proposed mandatory paternity DNA testing scheme for all Namibian newborns, arguing that existing case-by-case legal mechanisms are more appropriate and less costly than blanket testing.
18 February 2026 · The Namibian →

Sunday 4 January

Child Care Act allows minors aged 14+ medical treatment rights
Namibia's Child Care and Protection Act empowers children aged 14 and older to consent to medical treatment if they understand the risks and benefits, even when parents refuse consent on cultural or religious grounds. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare released an awareness video illustrating how the law protects children's health decisions and allows them to access confidential medical counselling without parental permission in certain circumstances.
4 January 2026 · Informanté →