Why Namibia won’t hold state funerals until 2026
Namibia has stopped holding state funerals until April 2026 as the government faces public pressure over the rising cost of official ceremonies.
The move was announced by Information Minister Emma Theofelus after a Cabinet meeting.
A committee has been set up to review how decisions are made about state funerals, which are usually reserved for top public figures.
The decision comes after strong criticism about how much taxpayers are spending on such events.
Local media say the government spent more than 38 million Namibian dollars, around $2.2 million, on state funerals in just one year.
This is a big jump from two years ago, when 23 funerals cost about 2.1 million Namibian dollars. Most of the recent costs were linked to the funeral of Namibia’s first president, Sam Nujoma, who died in February at age 95.
Nearly 30 million Namibian dollars were spent on transporting his body across the country.
While the government has not directly said money is the reason for the suspension, many Namibians have been calling for the country to spend more carefully.
These calls began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the economy was under pressure.
The new review is expected to find ways to honour national figures without spending so much.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
