Tensions are rising in the Ohangwena region as community members raise alarm over a surge in criminal activities allegedly linked to Angolan nationals.

They are informally recruited to work in the area.

The concern comes after Ohangwena governor Kadiva Diana Hamutumwa revealed that 4 907 criminal cases were recorded in Ohangwena between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025. 

She was speaking at her recent state of the region address on Monday

The cases include 154 rape cases, 235 incidents of domestic violence, 880 assaults, 784 cases of housebreaking and theft, and 231 cases of stock theft.

Ohangwena regional police Commissioner Ottilie Kashuupulwa said a disturbing number of rape cases involve minors. Many suspects manage to escape justice by fleeing across the porous border into Angola.

She stressed that the trauma inflicted on children is severe, calling it “deeply disturbing”.

Local activist Robert Shimutukweni said he had been advocating for Angolan nationals to always be recruited with documents and accompanied by family members, particularly in rural farming areas where stock theft is prevalent.

“This has been bothering me for so long. You cannot leave those people with minors in the house. They are very evil. In fact, they are not supposed to get jobs here. They are not good people at all,” he stressed.

A mother from the region said her daughter is still recovering from an assault allegedly committed by an Angolan farm worker after he attempted to rape her.

The issue of rape and stock theft is not limited to the Ohangwena region, as other northern regions have had similar experiences.

A cattle herder at Omulunga village in the Oshana region was found raping a six-year-old girl.

He was arrested.

Petrus Kakwambi, a farmer from Uuvudhiya, said it is very difficult to obtain documents from the Angolan nationals when they are seeking a job.

However, they take risks and recruit them.

“All they will tell you is that their name is Domingo or Antonio – that is it. Since we are desperate, we take them, because our fellow Namibians cannot accept the amount of money we pay those people,” he said.

Kakwambi calls for the intervention of police, immigration officials and local authorities.

“We are urging the ministries of labour as well as immigration, safety and security to step in, while police are calling for tighter cross-border cooperation and formalised recruitment practices,” he added.

– vkaapanda@nepc.com.na