Namibia's government has decided to halt all state funerals due to mounting criticism surrounding their high costs. Only President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah can grant exemptions during this moratorium, which will be in place until April 2026. Information Minister, Emma Theofelus, announced this decision following a Cabinet meeting, stating a review committee of seven members will scrutinize the criteria for official funerals.
The decision comes on the heels of increasing public scrutiny regarding state funeral expenses. Reports indicate that official burials have cost the government up to 38.4 million Namibian dollars ($2.2 million) for the 2024/2025 fiscal year, a sharp increase from 2.1 million Namibian dollars for 23 funerals in the previous year.
Prominent in recent discussions was the funeral of founding President Sam Nujoma, which reportedly incurred 30 million Namibian dollars ($1.7 million) just for transport of his body. Nujoma led Namibia to independence in the 1990s and served as president until 2005. Calls for a moratorium on these funerals had emerged as early as 2021, especially during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Windhoek Observer quoted Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare, expressing the need for reevaluation of spending on state funerals.