Crime robs Namibia of millions

Jo-Maré Duddy – An analysis of available data shows crime cost Namibia on average roughly at least N$138 107 every day so far this year.

This figure dwarfs Namibia’s gross national income (GNI) per capita, which boils down to N$177 per day. According to the World Bank Namibia’s GNI per capita is US$4 620 or about N$64 680 per year.

Only reported losses due to crime is also considerable more than the country’s per capita gross domestic product (GDP), which the World Bank estimates at US$5 700 or N$79 800 per year. That is about N$218 per day.

From the beginning of January to October 22 2017, the Namibian Police on their website published crime reports covering 99 days. Business7 worked through all these reports and found 134 reported incidents where money was directly involved. These included armed robbery, housebreaking, fraud, theft, stock theft, vehicle theft and robbery. This excludes unreported crime involving cost or finances, either by individuals or businesses. Indirect cost and losses can also not be calculated.

Adding up all the amounts mentioned in these reports exceeded more than N$13.67 million. Dividing this by the 99 days covered in the available crime reports come to an average of nearly N$138 107 per day.

By October 22, 295 days of 2017 had passed. Using the average amount involved in daily criminal activities reported to the police, means more than N$40.7 million has directly been tied to crime so far this year, corruption and poaching excluded.

In all likelihood this is a conservative estimation. Some of the reported incidents where money was involved, don’t state an amount. Others only mention cash lost, but no value of other items stolen. It is also common knowledge that the public doesn’t report all crime – especially petty theft – to the police, as the process is deemed too cumbersome.

The police reports show crime spares no one or no place in Namibia. Housebreaking incidents with goods stolen for as “little” as N$944 at Kongola and N$1 202 at Rietoog were reported. For a mere N$597 a resident of Walvis Bay was the victim of an armed robbery. Incidents were reported from as far as Epukiro, Drimiopsis, Groot Aub, Otjimbingwe, Tsandi, Onesi, Schlip and Opuwo.

Businesses suffered losses of about N$6 million, according to the reports.

In some of the reported cases people were hurt or seriously injured, while others lost their lives.

Impact

Despite the budget billions pumped into safety and security yearly – more than N$5 billion in the current fiscal year alone – Namibia has not been able to shed its reputation that crime, theft and corruption are rife in the country.

In the annual Global Competitive Index (GCI) of the World Economic Forum (WEF), crime and theft consistently feature under the top ten problematic factors for doing business in the past decade. Except for the 2016/17 index, where it was the 11th biggest stumbling block. However, only a year later, in the GCI 2017/18 crime and theft is rated as the 7th biggest hampering factor.

Although improving, Namibia also features very low on the WEF’s bi-annual Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index as far as the business cost of crime and violence is concerned. In 2017, Namibia was ranked 89th out of 136 countries worldwide on the index for business cost of crime and violence. Previously it fared as follows: 2015 (94/141); 2013 (109/140); and 2011 (107/139).

The Bureau of Diplomatic Security of the US Department of State warns on its website that “Americans have regularly fallen victim to street crime” in Namibia.

“Additionally, people walking the streets alone, especially after normal business hours or after dark, with purses, bags, or backpacks are frequently targeted for the contents of their bags, which may contain electronics that are easily sold on the black market. Criminals sometimes brandish knives and occasionally firearms,” the website states.

Theft from motor vehicles remains a concern, it warns. “This usually involves smash-and-grab methods and is sometimes associated with violence.”

Residential break-ins remain prevalent, the bureau says. “Generally, criminals target unoccupied residences; however, home invasions do occur, with some resulting in violence, when criminals encountered residents.”

Numbeo, the world's largest database of user contributed data, paints a much harsher picture. The site puts Namibia’s crime index at 67.74. The crime index is an estimation of overall level of crime in a given city or a country. Numbeo considers crime levels lower than 20 as very low, crime levels between 20 and 40 as being low, crime levels between 40 and 60 as being moderate, and crime levels between 60 and 80 as being high.

Numbeo’s safety index, on the other hand, is quite opposite of crime index. If the country has a high safety index, it is considered very safe. Namibia’s safety index at Numbeo is 32.26.

Kassie:

Numbeo: Crime rates in Namibia

Level of crime: 77.70 (High)

Crime increasing in the past three years: 81.33 (Very high)

Worries homes broken into & things stolen: 77.05 (High)

Worries being mugged or robbed: 72.22 (High)

Worries car stolen: 50.70 (Moderate)

Worries things from car stolen: 72.92 (High)

Worries attacked: 67.25 (High)

Problem violent crimes such a assault & armed robbery: 65.75 (High)

Problem corruption & bribery: 80.99 (Very high)

Source: Numbeo