President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s warning about the rising incidents of crime targeting tourists should be taken with the seriousness it deserves. Speaking at the opening of the Legal Year at the Supreme Court, the President correctly noted that such crimes do not merely harm individual victims but threaten jobs, livelihoods and Namibia’s hard-earned global reputation. These are not abstract concerns. They go to the heart of our economy, our national identity, and our moral compass as a people.
We share the President’s concern deeply. Yes, tourism is a commercial industry. It generates revenue, supports employment and contributes significantly to national development. But beyond balance sheets and marketing brochures lies a deeper truth that must not be forgotten: tourists are guests in our country. In African tradition, a guest is not merely a customer. A guest is a responsibility.
Across this continent, hospitality has always been sacred. You’re welcome first. You protect first. You feed first. The stranger who arrives at your homestead is placed under your care, regardless of where they come from or what they possess. That is what it means to be African. To harm a guest is not only a crime, it is a betrayal of values that long predate borders, passports and police badges.
When tourists are targeted, robbed, assaulted or intimidated, something has gone deeply wrong. Not just in law enforcement, but in our collective understanding of who we are. “Let’s be African” is not a romantic slogan. It is a call to return to the ethics of dignity, responsibility and protection that once defined us.
However, beyond values, there is a hard and uncomfortable reality that government and law enforcement must confront head-on.
Two weeks ago, this publication addressed an open letter to the Inspector-General of the Namibian Police. We warned then, and we repeat now: the moment criminals begin to believe that tourists are fair game, it is a clear signal that our crime prevention systems are failing. Criminals do not act randomly. They assess risk. They observe patterns. They exploit weakness.
Tourists are what criminologists call “low-hanging fruit”. They are unfamiliar with local environments, often carry valuables, and are less likely to pursue cases once they leave the country. When criminals feel confident enough to target them, it means deterrence has weakened. It means visibility is low, intelligence is lacking, and consequences are no longer feared.
This is a dangerous point to reach. A country that allows crime against tourists to escalate is not merely risking bad headlines; it is advertising vulnerability. Today it is the visitor at a lodge, a campsite or a city street. Tomorrow it is the local family, the small business owner, and the commuter. Criminal behaviour does not stop at categories. It expands.
We must therefore reject any approach that treats crimes against tourists as isolated incidents or unfortunate anomalies. They are indicators. Warnings. Early alarms of deeper systemic problems.
The response cannot be cosmetic. It cannot be seasonal crackdowns timed for peak tourist months, nor reactive deployments after international outrage. What is required is sustained, visible, intelligence-driven pressure on criminal networks, urban and rural, organised and opportunistic.
The police must not ease the pressure. Not now. Not quietly. Not for the sake of appearances.
We do not want a Namibia where tourists require armed escorts to enjoy Etosha, the Skeleton Coast, Sossusvlei or our city centres. That would represent a failure on every level: security, governance and national pride. It would fundamentally alter the character of our tourism offering and erode the sense of freedom and safety that draws visitors here in the first place.
Government must therefore ensure that law enforcement agencies are properly resourced, strategically deployed and held accountable. Patrols must be predictable to the public but unpredictable to criminals. Investigations must be thorough. Arrests must lead to prosecutions. Prosecutions must lead to convictions.
At the same time, communities must be engaged as partners, not spectators. Crime prevention does not begin at the police station. It begins with information sharing, local vigilance and trust between residents and law enforcement. Criminals thrive where silence, fear and indifference prevail.
The President has sounded the alarm. It must not echo into a void.
Protecting tourists is not about privileging outsiders over citizens. It is about defending the rule of law, safeguarding jobs, preserving Namibia’s image, and reaffirming who we are as a people. When we protect our guests, we protect ourselves.
Let us be firm. Let us be vigilant. And above all, let us be African, in values, in action, and in resolve.
