Renthia Kaimbi
The National Council standing committee on home affairs, security, constitutional and legal affairs has called for the removal of corporate branding by the Namibia Revenue Agency (NamRA) from border facilities. It said the branding violates national and international display standards.
This comes after a recent parliamentary assessment exposed severe problems at the country’s border posts, including weak security systems, housing shortages, and poor infrastructure.
The committee’s report follows oversight visits to ten border posts between August and September 2025.
Committee chairperson Ndjambula Philemon said the team was alarmed by the inconsistent branding at border facilities.
“The border posts signages are fully branded with NamRA corporate identity, which is not the standard of national and international display and branding of borders,” he said.
The report advises that NamRA’s branding should be limited to its service counters inside the arrival and departure halls and not displayed at border entrances or on facility doors.
It further states that NamRA should use the same approach it applied when branding the Trans-Kalahari border post and ensure consistent standards across all borders.
The committee also found that most border posts have seen little to no improvement since the last inspection in 2022.
Only the Trans-Kalahari/Mamuno (Buitepost) border has been upgraded to a 24-hour one-stop facility.
Most others lack proper equipment, housing, and reliable utilities.
They found that border staff are living in extremely poor conditions, with a severe and ongoing shortage of suitable accommodation.
The report highlights that section 28(2) of the Labour Act 11 of 2007 requires employers to provide adequate housing, sanitation and water for employees living at their workplaces.
The committee said several ministries and agencies have ignored this law for years.
At border posts such as Mata Mata, Klein Manasse and Mohembo, housing shortages have remained unresolved since 2022.
Despite growing operational demands, Mohembo forces many staff members to share accommodation.
The committee has thus called on the Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations to inspect border posts and ensure compliance.
Security also remains a major concern.
The committee found that illegal border crossings are widespread, driven by a lack of patrol vehicles and insufficient personnel.
It reported that regular border patrols have not taken place since 2022 at posts including Oshikango, Katima Mulilo and Mohembo.
At the Nkurenkuru border post, conditions have deteriorated further, with border guards no longer working night shifts.
As a result, border security at night is handled by private security personnel hired by NamRA.
The report said the police cells there are overcrowded, largely due to the high number of illegal immigrants entering through unfenced areas.
Other challenges include frequent power outages, faulty electronic screening equipment, reliance on private boreholes with salty water, poor network coverage, inadequate staff, and damaged infrastructure such as boom gates and parking bays.
The report also points to weak coordination among government offices and agencies.
The committee said the situation has worsened because no follow-up meetings were held after the National Action Plan was submitted. It urged the National Planning Commission (NPC) to include the plan in national strategic planning and budgeting.
To address the housing crisis, it called on government offices, ministries, and agencies to pool resources, secure land from local authorities, and begin developing staff housing.
The report stresses the need for continued parliamentary oversight and recommends that the next National Council Standing Committee track progress and hold the executive accountable until border posts meet required standards.
