KEETMANSHOOP – Deputy safety and security minister Lucia Witbooi said community service sentences are retributive and restorative in that they are beneficial for offenders, the community and the State.

She said this during the launch of the roll-out of community service orders to the Lüderitz and Aus courts, which recently took place in the harbour town.

“In terms of benefits to the offender, community service orders help offenders develop a sense of responsibility and accountability by engaging in meaningful work, acquiring new skills, enhancing their employability and reducing the likelihood of reoffending,” Witbooi said.

“As far as the benefits to the community are concerned, the group directly benefits from offenders on community service through the free labour provided,” she added.

She went on to state that the punitive measure has a reparative element through getting offenders to face up to the consequences of their criminal behaviour.

Sentencing offenders to community service orders is substantially less expensive than incarceration. 

It allows for the reduction of custodial care expenses such as food, utilities, medication and related costs.

Agreeing with her was Namibian Correctional Service (NCS) head Raphael Hamunyela, who said a community service order exists for offenders who have committed a non-serious offence, meeting certain criteria, to serve their sentence in the community by performing unpaid work for the benefit of the public.

This is an alternative to imposing stricter sanctions like incarceration.

Since the full involvement of the NCS in the programme in 2010, 3 537 offenders were sentenced to community service by 28 February 2025.

 Of that number, 3 172 (89.7%) successfully completed their orders by that date, while 303 (8.6%) breached their sentencing conditions.

On the other hand, 62 (1.7%) were still fulfilling their sentences. 

Thus far, the programme has been rolled out to 58 of 71 targeted courts nationwide, representing 81.7% completion as per the safety and security ministry’s strategic plan.

-sklukowski@nepc.com.na