Africa-Press – Namibia. The state has been praised for reserving Namibian Defence Force (NDF) 2025/26 intake slots for members of the San, Ovatue, and Ovatjimba communities.
Political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah describes the move as the government’s effort to correct historical imbalances.
“The inclusion of marginalised communities in the NDF shows that the government is serious about promoting social inclusion and correcting past imbalances. It reflects an effort to make national institutions more representative of all Namibians, and I think it must be catered for across all government institutions,” Kamwanyah says.
The Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs, through its executive director Annely Haiphene, informed the Office of the President that the NDF will recruit 1 500 new members during the current financial year, with 60 slots reserved for members of marginalised groups.
This was confirmed in letters to the Presidency dated 15 and 30 October, respectively, and seen by The Namibian.
Kamwanyah says while the 4% quota is a positive step, it risks being symbolic if it is not supported by effective implementation and support structures.
“Real inclusion needs more than numbers, it requires fair access, training, and opportunities for advancement. To strengthen equitable representation, policies should focus on improving education and outreach in marginalised areas, ensuring transparent recruitment, and monitoring progress regularly,” he adds. Kamwanyah says support programmes within the NDF can help recruits from marginalised groups succeed and feel included.
Haiphene said the recruitment will be conducted under the Defence Act of 2002, which provides for the appointment of officer cadets and other ranks.
“The application forms received should be stamped and recorded,” Haiphene stated in the letter.
“The Office of the President is informed that all eligible applicants from the affected communities are encouraged to apply. All application forms should be accompanied by a supporting letter from the relevant gazetted traditional authority authenticating the marginalised group to which the applicants belong,” the letter reads.
Following this, the Presidency instructed all regional governors to facilitate and verify applications from the targeted communities before forwarding them to Windhoek. Regional development planners have also been directed to work with governors’ offices to ensure the legitimacy of the candidates.
Kavango East governor Julius Hambyuka has confirmed that his office had received the directive and started distributing information to local authorities.
“We have shared the letter with the regional council to be distributed to all constituencies. There are two boxes set up, one for applicants from marginalised groups and another for non-marginalised applicants, at both the regional and governors’ offices. The regional offices will also work with traditional authorities during this process,” says Hambyuka.
The directive was issued to governors of all 11 regions, including Erongo, Kavango East and West, Kunene, Ohangwena, Omaheke, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa and Zambezi.
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