Allexer Namundjembo
Urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa’s recent comment about “married people running to unmarried social workers” has been described as ignorant and misleading.
Sankwasa made the remarks on Saturday during the official designation of chief Eugene Kudumo of the Uukwangali Traditional Authority in Nkurenkuru.
He said the best social workers did not graduate from the University of Namibia (Unam).
“Our best social workers in this world were our grandparents and uncles, and not graduates from Unam,” he said.
Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah criticised the statement, saying it undermined a profession central to Namibia’s social welfare system.
“There are growing challenges in this country, such as mental health issues, gender-based violence, poverty, and economic inequality. For a minister to make such a disparaging remark about a helping profession at the forefront of tackling these issues is ignorant and misleading,” Kamwanyah said.
Social media users also criticised the minister noting that his own ministry employs trained social workers in development and staff wellness programmes.
However, commentator Jonas Sintjapa argued that Sankwasa may have been pointing to the value of traditional approaches in resolving marital disputes.
He said families should lean on cultural norms and ancestral guidance but added that social workers remain vital in tackling wider social and financial problems.
The remarks come amid rising divorce cases in the country.
Statistics from the High Courts in Windhoek and Oshakati show that between 2018 and 2019, 2 864 divorce applications were filed.
Of these, 2 159 were finalised, 705 remained pending, and 87 were withdrawn.
In 2018, 1 442 divorce cases were registered, with 1 297 finalised and 45 withdrawn.
In 2019, 1 422 applications were filed, but only 862 were finalised, leaving a significant backlog.
Ten years ago, acting director of the directorate of social welfare services, Liza van Rhyn, said during a training event on marriage and post-divorce counselling that marriage and divorce challenges rank among the top social problems in Namibia.
She had stressed the importance of social workers in guiding families through such difficulties.
Social workers have also played an important role beyond marriage issues. Specialist social worker Veronica Theron has provided expert testimony in high-profile gender-based violence cases, showing the profession’s critical role in addressing the psychological and social impacts on vulnerable groups.
