Police tackle cell overcrowding crisis

The Namibian Police are in talks to address severe overcrowding in police holding cells by transferring the custody of remand inmates to the Namibian Correctional Service.

The shift in custodial arrangements aims to protect officers, safeguard detainees and prevent damage to police facilities.

Speaking to Namibian Sun this week, Namibian Police Inspector General Joseph Shikongo acknowledged that overcrowding is a “serious challenge", affecting staffing, inmate management, feeding and access to medical care.

Shikongo stressed that Namibia is one of the few countries in the sub-Saharan region where inmates remain under police custody after their first court appearance.

“In so many countries, if not all, when the accused person appears before the court on the first appearance, their remand should be with the correctional facility; it should not be with the Namibian Police Force,” Shikongo said.

Current legislation requires police to act as custodians for remanded prisoners, a system that Shikongo says is unsustainable.

“The current law of Namibia indeed stipulates that, of course, the police take custodian of these inmates, but in actual fact, it is not supposed to be that way,” he explained.

Talks are already underway, Shikongo added.

“We already started with the negotiation; we made a submission to the relevant authority to consider moving, removing that responsibility of remand facility, and going to the correctional service."

Cells under strain

The scale of the problem is alarming.

A report released last year by the National Council standing committee on security revealed that many police cells are holding far more inmates than they were designed for.

In Rundu, a facility built for 100 detainees was holding 249 awaiting trial.

Katima Mulilo’s 60-bed cell held 262 inmates, while Eenhana, Gobabis, Oshikango and Nkurenkuru were also significantly over capacity. Nationwide, there were 2 969 inmates awaiting trial, including foreign nationals.

Shikongo said the introduction of a dedicated remand facility would address these concerns by reducing the burden on police cells and ensuring that detainees are held in facilities designed for their care.

“This is a mitigating effect that we are working on,” he noted, adding that legal amendments and proper budgeting are also needed to make the solution sustainable.

Police insiders have raised concerns about overcrowded holding cells, citing the rapid spread of illness among inmates, safety risks for officers, and infrastructure damage that increases the risk of escapes.

“The situation is so bad that we normal police officers can’t go search cells without the assistance of the special field force for extra manpower," one officer said.