Jobless youth slipping into drugs and crime, Shikongo warns

Police Inspector General Joseph Shikongo has warned that a lack of economic opportunities for Namibian youth is driving a growing domestic drug crisis as well as crime.

Speaking at the ‘Boys to Men’ seminar in Windhoek last weekend, Shikongo argued that the nation’s youth are being driven toward crime and substance abuse as a direct result of systemic unemployment.

The police chief noted that in its latest recruitment drive, over 53 000 young Namibians applied for just 2 000 vacant posts.

This overwhelming demand for a limited number of positions is not an isolated trend.

Previous recruitment cycles, Shikongo said, had reflected similar numbers, including one instance in which about 40 000 applicants competed for just 1 000 roles.

The figures, he indicated, point to a growing pool of young people seeking stability but facing shrinking opportunities within the formal economy.

He warned that the absence of employment pathways is fuelling a rise in social ills, particularly among the youth.

Long-term consequences

Shikongo stressed that without structured opportunities or support systems, many young Namibians are increasingly exposed to substance abuse and criminal activity.

“At your age, you are 17 or 18; you pick up a criminal record, where do you go?” Shikongo asked.

Shikongo said early involvement in crime often leads to long-term consequences, with a criminal record closing doors to future employment and reinforcing cycles of poverty. The increasing number of young people entering the criminal justice system, he said, reflects deeper structural challenges rather than isolated incidents.

The police chief also pointed to a shift in the country’s drug landscape. Namibia, once primarily seen as a transit point for international drug trafficking, is now grappling with growing domestic consumption.

He said the fight against narcotics has moved beyond border control and into communities, households and schools.

Addressing the crisis will require more than policing alone, with Shikongo stressing the need for broader social and economic interventions to create opportunities and steer young people away from crime.

Police data shows the scale of the crisis is growing, with 2 259 suspects arrested for drug-related offences in the 2025/26 financial year, while seizures rose from N$49.3 million in 2023 to N$56.6 million in 2024.

Monthly operations in 2025 alone saw hundreds of arrests and millions of dollars worth of drugs seized, underlining the spread of narcotics across communities.