The Namibian government has instituted a temporary moratorium on state funerals, effective until April 2026, following growing scrutiny over the escalating expenses of official burials. The decision was announced by Information Minister Emma Theofelus after a Cabinet meeting and grants only President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah the authority to exempt specific funerals from the ban.
A seven-member review committee will reassess the criteria and processes for granting state funerals, though officials have not directly linked the move to recent criticism. Local reports, however, highlight a dramatic surge in costs, with state funerals consuming 38.4 million Namibian dollars, about $2.2 million, in the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year compared to just 2.1 million for 23 funerals two years prior.
The issue gained traction after the February 2024 state funeral of Namibia’s founding president, Sam Nujoma, which included 30 million Namibian dollars spent solely on transporting his remains nationwide. Nujoma, a liberation hero who led Namibia to independence in 1990, passed away at 95.
While the government has yet to comment on the financial rationale, the Windhoek Observer notes that calls for fiscal restraint date back to 2021, when pandemic-era austerity measures spotlighted the burden of ceremonial expenditures. The review aims to balance national honor with fiscal responsibility as Namibia navigates economic pressures.
