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March 2026
The Namibian
Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfarenotedthe recent case involving the arrest of a mother who abandoned her baby
Source
“Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare spokesperson Lucas Haufiku told The Namibian last week that the ministry has noted the recent case involving the arrest of a mother who abandoned her baby at what has been described as a "safe place."”
Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfarecompletedfive-week rehabilitation and reintegration training for 75 street children
Source
“About 75 children who have been living on the streets have completed their five-week rehabilitation and reintegration training with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare.”
Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfaresays it is investigatingthe alleged assault
Source
“The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare as well as the Ministry of Education Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture say they are investigating the alleged assault and condemn school violence.”
Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfareinauguratedfour new classrooms and storage facilities worth N$1.4 million at WJD Cloete Combined School
Source
“The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare and partners last week inaugurated four new classrooms and storage facilities worth N$1.4 million at Rietoog's WJD Cloete Combined School.”
Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfarehas empowered1 485 women in Namibia with entrepreneurial skills through EntreprenHER
Source
“The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare has empowered 1 485 women in Namibia with entrepreneurial skills through the EntreprenHER programme.”
Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfarehas empowered1 485 women in Namibia with entrepreneurial skills through EntreprenHER programme
Source
“THE Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare has empowered 1 485 women in Namibia with entrepreneurial skills through the EntreprenHER programme.”
Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfarehas recorded3 319 child neglect cases since 2023
Source
“Namibia's child welfare ministry says it has recorded 3 319 child neglect cases since 2023, mainly driven by unemployment and their parents' substance abuse.”
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfareissued an urgent appeal to the public tohelp trace a child seen in a widely circulated social media video allegedly consuming traditional alcoholic brew, otombo
Source
“THE Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare has issued an urgent appeal to the public to help trace a child seen in a widely circulated social media video allegedly consuming traditional alcoholic brew, otombo, raising serious concerns about the child's safety and possible neglect or abuse.”
The Ministrycalled on anyone who recognises the child tocome forward immediately with information
Source
“The Ministry has called on anyone who recognises the child, the location where the video was recorded, or the individuals appearing in the footage to come forward immediately.”
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.
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.
Fall n Opstaan kindergarten in Gobabis's Turiandjera township, founded in 2016 under a tree, now enrolls 143 children from kindergarten to preschool at no cost. Owner Johanna Nakale and three volunteer teachers provide free education and a safe environment for children from impoverished families.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare is strengthening its juvenile justice services through screening and diversion of children in conflict with the law, along with pre-sentence impact mitigation reports, as part of broader child protection and well-being programmes.
Young unemployed mothers in Kanaan B settlement at Gobabis drink tombo, a homemade brew, throughout the day to relieve hunger pangs in an informal settlement lacking running water, electricity, toilets, and food. Authorities identify alcohol as a major challenge linked to child neglect, crime, domestic violence, and poor productivity in the area.
The number of Namibian children receiving support for living and working on the street fell by more than 40% from 857 in 2014 to 485 in 2023, according to the government's Child Care and Protection Statistics Report (2014-2023). The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare attributes the decline to improved reintegration into families, schools and communities.
Deputy sport minister Dino Ballotti commended Namibia's 23-member team for their performance at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where the country finished 29th overall and second in southern Africa. Ballotti said the medal haul could have been greater with more athletes competing and pledged preparations for future international events including the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Omaheke's three social workers serve all seven constituencies, leaving vulnerable children and survivors of gender-based violence with limited access to social welfare services. The region faces challenges including limited funding, staff burnout, vacant positions, and no emergency shelters or designated places of safety.
Namibia's Cabinet approved several Memoranda of Understanding with South Africa covering social development, gender equality, and women's empowerment, aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two nations.
Government spending on child grants exceeded N$1 billion as the number of children receiving State grants increased to 377 164 in 2023, up from 164 434 in 2014, according to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare's 2014–2023 Child Care and Protection Statistics Report. The vulnerable grant saw the largest growth, rising from 8 238 to 254 771 beneficiaries over the period, though maintenance grants and foster care grants declined.
A government report shows girls in Namibia recorded an annual average of 1,252 reported violence cases over 2014–2023, compared to 711 for boys, with the highest number of cases (1,698) reported in 2023. The data covers violence including kidnapping, neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and trafficking.
The Independent Patriots for Change shadow minister of gender equality has called on the gender ministry to ensure vulnerable social grant beneficiaries do not lose their income during verification, after the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare set a July end-of-month deadline for verification or risk losing payments. Lutuhezi said suspension of grant payments before verification is completed will cause unnecessary hardship and asked what measures would protect beneficiaries unable to meet the deadline due to illness, disability, old age or lack of transport.
Jonah Home in Walvis Bay has cared for abandoned and vulnerable children for 15 years, currently housing about 14 children with capacity for up to 20. The facility accepts children from difficult circumstances including neglect, abuse, and families affected by substance addiction.
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.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare has suspended grant payments to beneficiaries with discrepancies between their personal details and the National Population Register, and is urging those affected to visit a pension office by July 31, 2026 to verify their identity documents. The ministry began paying verified beneficiaries in July and will continue processing backdated payments until September 2026.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare says over 15,825 old-age grant beneficiaries whose payments were suspended due to mismatched personal details must visit pension offices for verification by the end of July. Reviewed beneficiaries have resumed payments, with additional payments continuing through September.
Riaan Andrew van Wyk (46) was sentenced to life imprisonment by High Court Judge Dinnah Usiku for murdering his biological brother Frederik van Wyk (51) by stabbing him in the chest with a knife on 13 November 2021 in Rehoboth. Van Wyk was also convicted of attempted murder of another brother, Stephanus van Wyk, under the Combating of Domestic Violence Act.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare has removed 280 children from the streets and reintegrated them into schools as part of efforts to tackle homelessness and street children.
Omuthiya constituency regional councillor Erastus Nekomba has warned against the neglect and exploitation of elderly people after household visits uncovered pensioners living in dire conditions, including an 80-year-old woman whose family members are alleged to be misusing her pension grant.
An unemployed Rehoboth community activist built El-Roi kindergarten in 2016 to shelter, feed and educate neglected and abandoned children. The facility currently houses three children and is run by the activist and his family with contributions from parents, some of whom cannot afford the monthly N$150 or N$200 fee.
Most pensioners in Hardap region whose grants were frozen during a verification exercise can expect their funds in the July payment cycle, with eligible beneficiaries receiving full back-pay once final approval is granted. The freeze affected more than 400 beneficiaries in the region due to data mismatches between the ministry's records and the National Population Register.
Over 15,000 Namibian pensioners have had their old-age grants suspended after missing a mandatory government verification process in October. Many pensioners say they were not adequately informed of the callout and are now struggling to meet basic needs.
A six-year-old boy reported missing on Wednesday from the Goreangab area of Windhoek has been found. He had been missing since Sunday and was discovered at Wanaheda Police Station; he is now in the care of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare.
The Ministry of Finance suspended 15,825 of 209,226 old-age grant recipients whose names could not be found in the National Population Registry System. Beneficiaries can restore payments by providing identity documentation at the nearest Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare office, and once verified will receive back payments covering the suspension period.
The government has temporarily suspended the grants of 15,825 old-age pension beneficiaries whose names could not be verified on the National Population Registry System. Affected beneficiaries must visit regional gender ministry or constituency offices with their national identification document and birth certificate to have their grants reinstated, and will receive back payment for the suspension period.
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.
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.
San families in Eenhana and surrounding settlements live in makeshift structures and face unemployment, lack of identity documents, and inadequate housing, despite government efforts including food assistance, school transport, and housing projects. Officials acknowledge living conditions remain difficult and uneven across communities, with plans to relocate some settlements and continue support programmes.
Namibia's eight state-run shelters for gender-based violence survivors operate with a N$1 million annual budget covering only food and basics, accommodating only 80 GBV clients at any time despite thousands of reported cases. Staffing shortages, no national system to track turned-away victims, and restricted access policies compound the pressure, with the ministry acknowledging the sheltering system is "not yet fully adequate to meet all demand across the country."
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.
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.