EDITORIAL: Namibia must wake up to epidemic of suicide

As a country, we have stepped perilously close to the edge of inexcusable hypocrisy – with tragic consequences.Another day, another suicide.The crisis has only recently begun to capture wider attention, with public figures, the media and the public suddenly deeply engaged on the topic. But statistics stretching back more than a decade have long warned that suicide in Namibia had reached epidemic proportions. The lack of action, the silence, the ignorance – all have cost thousands of lives while the issue was ignored.“Suicide is obviously a crisis in Namibia,” a renowned psychologist said in 2011. What have we done since then?We can fill pages of newspapers. Public figures can bravely share their experiences of suicidal thoughts and urge action. We can mourn beloved artists, friends and family members when they succumb to hopelessness.But what we should be doing is act. Without delay. Every second costs lives. Destroys families.Depression – whatever its trigger – is a deadly disease.We are all complicit: government, the private sector, communities and individuals who fail to prioritise mental health, who ignore its seriousness, and who turn away from desperate cries.Those contemplating suicide often struggle to put it into words. But the signs are unmistakable. We, as family and friends, colleagues and communities, must listen better.But this burden cannot rest solely on our shoulders. Too often, help is out of reach, unaffordable or unavailable. Government and the private sector have a moral and ethical duty to step in, providing resources that are effective, affordable and accessible. Public and workplace spaces must treat this crisis with the seriousness it demands.The choice is ours: To keep speaking hollow words while the death toll rises, or to finally confront suicide with the urgency it deserves. The time for platitudes has passed. Lives are waiting on our action.

EDITORIAL: Namibia must wake up to epidemic of suicide

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Namibian Sun 2026-08-20

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EDITORIAL: Namibia must wake up to epidemic of suicide

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Namibian Sun 2026-08-20

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