Destitute Namibians left to strangers’ mercy – MP

Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) parliamentarian Vilho Ihemba has accused the government of forcing vulnerable Namibians to rely on the generosity of strangers.Addressing the National Assembly on Thursday during the 2026/27 mid-year budget review debate, he criticised a proposed N$8 million cut in the allocation to the Ministry of Health and Social Services.Ihemba said Namibia should not need ordinary citizens or international visitors to draw attention to the suffering of its destitute people, who deserve dignity, protection and care. It was particularly embarrassing, he said, that foreign visitors sometimes identified people living in desperate circumstances before the country’s own social welfare institutions intervened.Ihemba said people in distress should not have to wait until their suffering garners public attention before receiving government assistance.“We have situations in which vulnerable individuals are discovered by ordinary members of the public, who provide food, clothing or temporary assistance for that particular day,” he said.“Yet the question remains: what happens the following morning?” he asked lawmakers.He said social welfare authorities should have enough resources to assess such cases, arrange accommodation and ensure continued support, rather than leaving those who first offered help to take on the role of social workers.“Good Samaritans cannot become substitutes for a functioning social welfare system. They can assist the state, but they cannot be expected to replace it,” he said.He argued that the reduction raised concerns about the state’s ability to identify vulnerable people, respond to emergencies and provide sustained assistance.“We cannot budget for institutions to exist on paper while vulnerable people remain unattended in practice,” he added.Predators target vulnerableIhemba said homelessness, poverty and social vulnerability expose individuals to abuse, human trafficking, substance abuse and recruitment into criminal networks.“Children and young people without protection may be particularly vulnerable to those who offer them assistance for the wrong reasons,” he said.He emphasised that poverty should not be associated with criminality, but warned that desperate circumstances could make people easy targets for exploitation.“The danger lies in allowing their circumstances to be exploited by those who prey on desperation,” he said.Ihemba argued that social welfare was not merely a matter of compassion but also an important way to protect communities and prevent problems that could eventually require more expensive government interventions.“Prevention is often less costly than dealing with the consequences of neglect,” he said.No excusesWhile acknowledging the government’s budget realities, he asked whether the proposed reduction adequately considered the needs of people dependent on social protection.He called on the government to provide social welfare institutions with enough staff, transport, emergency accommodation and operational resources to intervene before vulnerable people were forced to depend entirely on strangers.“The shortage of resources may explain the difficult choices before us, but it must never become an excuse for neglecting the most basic needs of our people,” he said.At the time of going to print, the finance ministry had not responded to the accusations and questions raised by Ihemba in the National Assembly.

Destitute Namibians left to strangers’ mercy – MP

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Namibian Sun 2026-11-02

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Destitute Namibians left to strangers’ mercy – MP

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Namibian Sun 2026-11-02

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