432 Missing persons cases recorded
The concerns over the reported rise in missing persons cases, including children and teenagers, have prompted a call for Parliament to investigate the matter. A motion was proposed on Wednesday in the National Assembly to refer the issue to the relevant standing committee for investigation and possible action, describing it as a “long overdue problem” affecting people in the country.
Festus Thomas said Namibia had seen a “concerned rise” in missing persons cases and referred to editorial reporting which indicated that 432 missing persons cases had been opened in a period of less than a year. He also cited figures attributed to the Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, stating that 201 people had been reported missing countrywide over five years since 2019.
The issue was further linked to human trafficking, Thomas said that the Minister of Gender Equality and Child Welfare had confirmed 10 new trafficking-in-persons cases between March 2025 and April 2026. According to the Thomas, this represented an increase from six cases recorded during the previous period.
The motion also referred to the recent death of Ihuhwa Tomas known as Brother Thomas Ihuwa in Walvis Bay late last month, with the Thomas expressing concern over the circumstances, “This is very shocking if no one is to be arrested.”
