Spike in rape cases exposes crucial gaps in GBV data system

Over a 10-month period between April 2024 and February this year, the Namibian Police recorded 4 405 cases of gender-based violence (GBV), including 1 345 rapes.These figures were shared at a high-level stakeholders’ meeting held in Swakopmund on Tuesday, where experts emphasised that persistent data and coordination failures continue to hamper the fight against GBV.The meeting aimed to address critical shortcomings in the country’s GBV Information Management System (GBVIMS), which, although it has been introduced in pilot regions, is said to remain fragmented, underutilised and heavily reliant on manual processes.The urgency of the discussions was illustrated by two recent local developments. On Monday night, immigration and police officials rounded up about 60 undocumented minors – mostly hailing from rural Angola – who were found begging and making alleged threats in Swakopmund’s town centre. Their presence has increased over the past year. Initially mistaken for Namibian nationals, the minors were discovered to have no Namibian language skills and were reportedly sent back to the border in coordination with Angolan authorities.As the meeting got underway on Tuesday, Erongo police also confirmed the arrest of a 34-year-old man in Swakopmund’s DRC settlement for allegedly raping his 10-year-old daughter. The offence reportedly took place in February. The suspect is expected to appear in the Swakopmund Magistrate’s Court on 14 May.Namibian Police Inspector General Joseph Shikongo said these incidents illustrate both the severity of GBV and the vulnerability of children.“These are not just numbers. We must ask: where are the parents? These children are from our houses. Those involved in GBV are also from our communities. Responsibility begins at home,” he said.Reliable data a crucial toolShikongo reiterated the police&#039;s support for strengthening the GBVIMS, noting its current limitations.“We cannot improve what we do not understand, and we cannot understand what we do not measure. A reliable and integrated data system is a matter of justice, accountability, and human rights,” he said.He confirmed that police forensic and gender-based violence protection units were actively engaged but required better support tools.“From detection to prosecution, we need data that is real-time, centralised and actionable,” he argued. National development issue Erongo governor Neville Andre said the region continues to bear a disproportionate burden of GBV due to socio-economic challenges, substance abuse and entrenched cultural silences.“GBV is not a women’s issue. It is a national development issue. The longer we delay in addressing it systemically, the more we fail those most at risk,” he warned. The Namibia Statistics Agency, Namibian Police, the Office of the Prime Minister and United Nations development agencies all called for inter-ministerial integration of the GBVIMS.Stefanus van Staden, representing the prime minister’s office, said the system must guide both national frameworks and grassroots interventions.“We are committed to ensuring the system is not only technically sound but also survivor-centred and responsive,” he said.Dr Isak Neema of the NSA outlined the meeting’s objectives: to develop a roadmap, build strategic partnerships and renew national commitments to the GBVIMS.“Data alone will not solve GBV, but without it, we cannot manage it,” he said.The meeting is expected to result in concrete steps towards a fully functional national GBVIMS, incorporating health, law enforcement, social welfare, education and judiciary inputs.

Spike in rape cases exposes crucial gaps in GBV data system

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-15

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Spike in rape cases exposes crucial gaps in GBV data system

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-15

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