U S State Department

NAMIBIA 2016 HUMAN RIGHTS Report U S State Department

Namibia is a constitutional multiparty democracy. In local and regional elections held in November 2015, the ruling Swapo party won 112 of 121 regional council seats and gained control of 54 of 57 local authorities. Elections held in November 2014 resulted in the election of Prime Minister Hage Geingob to the presidency and retention by Swapo of its large parliamentary majority. International observers characterized the elections in 2014 and 2015 as generally free and fair. Civilian authorities generally maintained effective control over the security forces. The most significant human rights problems in the country included the slow pace of judicial proceedings and resulting lengthy pretrial detention, sometimes under poor conditions; violence and discrimination against women and children, including rape; and child labor.