Amupanda questions Home Affairs research directive
A concern over restrictions on research within the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security was raised in Parliament on Wednesday, with an MP questioning an alleged directive that limits access to the ministry’s systems, processes and information.
During the National Assembly on Wedndesday, Job Amupanda told Prime Minister Tjitunga Elijah Ngurare that he had been approached by two researchers who raised concerns about research involving the ministry’s systems, processes and information repositories. Amupanda said he was concerned by what he described as a position communicated by the Deputy Executive Director for Civil Registration and Chief Registrar in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security in Namibia, that researchers would not be allowed to conduct research on the ministry’s systems, processes or information held by the ministry.
He said the position appeared to apply even to ministry employees who wanted to conduct research. Amupanda referred to the Research, Science and Technology Act 23 of 2004, questioning how research is currently governed and whether different approaches are being applied across government ministries. “We are saying that we want to be a knowledge-based economy,” Amupanda said, while questioning the apparent restrictions on research within Home Affairs. He also raised concerns about what he said was the halting of certain procurement-related research or processes at the ministry following the alleged directive.
“Now, Prime Minister, how is research governed? Do we have different approaches to governance research under the Ministry of Education?” he asked. He further questioned whether the Prime Minister was aware of a directive preventing research relating to the systems, processes or information repositories of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
