NAMIBIA | Ombudsman releases Annual Report 2020

2020 was without a doubt the most significant year; on 21 March Namibia celebrated its 30th Independence Anniversary with the Covid-19 pandemic on our doorsteps. The country’s Constitution turned 30 on 9 February and the Office of the Ombudsman celebrated this milestone under the theme: “The Namibian Constitution 30 years on – Are we the Namibia we want to be?” with school learners in different parts of the country.

On 23 July 2020, the Ombudsman institution celebrated its 30th anniversary under the theme: “30 years - making a difference” and with the publication of a 30th Anniversary Commemorative Book (1990-2020) of the Ombudsman’s Office, which tells the story of humble beginnings, a journey of small steps which left inerasable footprints of the Ombudsmen and staff.

The Office celebrated these milestones because the Constitution and the Ombudsman institution are not historic monuments, on the contrary, the Constitution is a living document and the Ombudsman is a living institution.

Despite the challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Office managed to comply with its statutory duties. In 2020 the Ombudsman resolved 78% of the complaints received, 1% more than the previous year. Most of these were finalized without substantial investigations. The majority of complaints are finalized through informal means, but a formal or substantial investigation may be required where jurisdictional complaints are complex and cannot be resolved through informal means or referral to another institution.

The staff remained committed and focused on providing quality service to the people. Therefore, it is important to recognize that the success of the office is the result of the hard work of staff.

As required by the Ombudsman Act, all the activities undertaken during the past year are reported on in the Office’s 2020 Annual Report.

Source: Office of the Ombudsman, Namibia