Security standing committee calls for relocation of correctional facilities

By: Selma Taapopi

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, Security, Constitutional and Legal Affairs, chaired by Philemon Ndjambula, has recommended that correctional facilities located within towns and cities be relocated to their outskirts to improve control, management, and security.

The committee identified the Windhoek, Keetmanshoop, and Swakopmund Correctional Facilities as among those that should be moved.

In its report following an oversight visit to correctional facilities conducted between 20 January and 25 February 2025, the committee noted that most of these facilities were inherited from the colonial government.

Some of the structures, built as early as 1922 to serve certain purposes, are now in poor condition and require significant rehabilitation to meet current standards for human habitation.