Allexer Namundjembo
Police officers are expressing frustration over ongoing recruitment drives while salary and promotion concerns remain unresolved.
A police officer who spoke to the Windhoek Observer on condition of anonymity said officers are often disappointed when new intakes are announced.
“The government can never say it does not have money to increase our salaries. How do you explain hiring 1 500 new police officers while saying there is no money for salary adjustments?” the officer said.
The officer said many junior officers struggle with living conditions and cannot afford housing.
“We do not have proper houses. We cannot even afford them. We are risking ourselves for peanuts. It is because we cannot protest, but we are suffering.”
The concerns come as the government continues recruiting members into the Namibian Police, Correctional Service and Defence Force.
Unionist Julius Natangwe of the Revolutionary Union-RU said the security cluster remains underpaid.
He said low pay affects morale and daily living conditions.
“They are struggling to buy houses and to just make a living within their salaries. It is unfortunate, and I wish I had the power to remunerate them better. They have become victims of cash loans, and it is a pity. It can’t continue like this,” Natangwe said.
He said recruitment needs to be planned and should not happen without addressing existing concerns.
“The recruitment usually happens over some time, but these are happening now. I don’t know if it is to replace those who are retired or to expand. The army and the police must grow, but it is something that must be well planned,” he said.
Natangwe said unionisation within the security sector remains difficult.
“We tried recruiting them, but it is a whole long process that involves us going through the office of the inspector general. Our force cannot continue to be a victim of cash loans,” he added.
Salary data shows that a police officer earns between N$90 171 and N$109 428 per year, which is about N$7,500 per month before deductions.
At the higher end, monthly earnings reach about N$9 119, excluding allowances.
Correctional service officers earn around N$74 733 per year at entry level, with experienced officers earning between N$12 000 and N$16 000 per month depending on rank and allowances.
Members of the Namibian Defence Force earn between N$102 622 and N$123 086 per year, which is about N$8 551 to N$10 257 per month before deductions.
Social justice activist Michael Amushelelo said the government is prioritising recruitment over improving conditions for current officers.
“It is very condescending and contradicting to always budget money for new recruitments; however, there is no budget to increase the salaries of those already employed,” he said.
He said low salaries make it hard for officers to meet basic needs and have led to debt reliance.
“It is a huge cause for concern to have poorly paid soldiers, because at any given moment they can revolt and overthrow the government in a coup,” he said.
Amushelelo said the country should focus on economic growth to address unemployment.
“What urgently needs to be done is that we must leverage our natural resources in order to industrialise. We must stop importing our natural resources without beneficiation. Value addition is going to create massive industries, which will enable us to create sustainable employment,” he said.
He warned that unemployment remains a risk.
“We continue to ignore the issue of unemployment; however, that issue is going to one day create unrest in our country,” Amushelelo said.
National Democratic Party (NDP) leader and member of parliament Martin Lukato said the issue of salaries has been discussed in parliament.
“That was discussed in parliament. They need a salary increment and also better living standards. We recommended that their salaries should be reasonable. This is because in some countries, members of the police, defence and correctional services are highly paid. Furthermore, they should be provided with housing allowances and accommodation for them to have a better living standard. We have recommended that these are important aspects we should look at,” Lukato said.
LPM member of parliament Eneas Emvula said recruitment numbers have increased over recent years.
He said about 6 000 recruits joined the defence force and 9 800 joined the police in the past five years.
“That is a top 15 813 jobs created in the public administration, of which its annual operation budget makes up 80% of the overall national budget per year,” Emvula said.
He said youth unemployment remains high and requires large-scale job creation.
“The so much praised Youth Development Fund, as per the APRM 2026 Report, produced 700 jobs at a cost of around N$250 million. That is equivalent to 6 jobs per project, and what level of job security do these projects present or guarantee? In 2024, Nampol received 50 000 applications for 2000 vacancies. Now, that tells any logically thinking individual that the current administration are addressing this critical matter with closed eyes, or they have no clue how to go about addressing youth unemployment. Increasing the public service bill by additional recruitment to achieve political campaign promises cannot be the answer to this now becoming a pandemic that has lasting mental and financial effects on families and affected individuals,” Emvula said.
He said there is a need to assess job retention and salary progression.
“What percentage of the youth retain their jobs, one or two years down the memory lane? What salary increments have taken place in these two subsectors of the public service, and what is the economic impact at the household level? These are details that I had expected local economists to interrogate and inform the nation about. They are very quick to comment when the opposition opposes or criticises the administration’s failure. What use are they to the nation in the midst of all these?” Emvula asked.
Earlier this month, police inspector general Joseph Shikongo rejected claims that low salaries lead to corruption.
“Money will never be enough. Even millionaires will tell you they don’t have enough. That cannot be a reason for a police officer to commit crime.”
