Namibia Needs to Introduce Mandatory DNA Testing at Birth

A silent crisis is affecting many men across Namibia, one that rarely makes headlines but leaves deep emotional, psychological, and social scars.

It is paternity fraud: men raising, loving, supporting and sacrificing for children they believe are theirs, only to later discover they are not the biological fathers.

I recently reviewed an article titled ‘The Case for Compulsory DNA Testing at Birth to Confirm Paternity: Ethical, Legal, and Social Considerations’.

The arguments struck a painful chord because they mirror real-life stories we hear whispered about in communities, shared in private conversations, and sometimes revealed too late, when damage has already been done.

Consider the story of a man who raised a child from birth. He paid school fees, provided food and shelter, attended school meetings, and supported the child all the way to university.

He believed he was fulfilling his duty as a father. Years later, during a heated argument, his wife angrily revealed the truth with one devastating sentence: “And you even think the child is yours.”

In that moment, his entire world collapsed. His identity, trust and sense of purpose were shattered. The betrayal was not only financial, it was emotional, psychological, and deeply personal.

For many men, such revelations lead to depression, substance abuse, broken families, and in extreme cases, suicide.

These are not isolated incidents. They repeat themselves across towns, villages and cities.

POWER IMBALANCE

One painful reality is that only women can be 100% certain of a child’s biological origin. This biological certainty creates a power imbalance that, when abused, results in grave injustice.

While the intention may be framed as protecting the child, the method is deception. It transfers responsibility through lies and turns men into unwitting victims. Good intentions cannot justify fraud.

Mandatory DNA testing at birth – conducted ethically, confidentially and with state oversight – would immediately remove doubt, deception and delayed trauma.

It would:

– Protect men from years of emotional and financial exploitation

– Ensure children know their true biological identity

– Promote honesty and accountability in relationships

– Reduce family breakdowns caused by late paternity revelations

– Support men’s mental health and reduce depression and suicide risks.

Research shows that misattributed paternity is not rare.

Studies in various countries estimate rates ranging from 1% to over 10%, depending on context and testing circumstances.

Even at the lowest estimates, the emotional cost is enormous.

ETHICAL CONCERNS

Critics argue that compulsory DNA testing violates privacy and trust.

However, Namibia already mandates medical procedures at birth in the interest of public health, such as vaccinations and screenings.

DNA testing would serve a similar preventive function – protecting psychological health, legal clarity and family stability.

Others fear it may destabilise families. In truth, it is secrecy – not truth – that destroys families.

Truth revealed early allows informed decisions. Truth revealed late causes trauma.

From a legal perspective, accurate paternity determination strengthens child maintenance enforcement, inheritance clarity, and parental rights, all pillars of justice.

I urge our ministry of health and social services, in collaboration with the ministry of justice and gender stakeholders, to:

– Explore legislation for compulsory DNA testing at birth

– Ensure tests are affordable or state-subsidised

– Protect privacy and data through strict regulation

– Provide counseling support for families affected by results

TRUTH AND FAIRNESS

This is not a war against women. It is a call for truth.

It is a stand for fairness. It is an urgent mental health intervention for men who suffer in silence.

No man should discover, decades later, that his love, labour and sacrifice were built on a lie.

No child should grow up unaware of their true biological roots. And no society should normalise deception under the guise of protection.

Mandatory DNA testing at birth is not about mistrust, it is about transparency, justice and preventing lifelong trauma.

Namibia has an opportunity to lead with courage, compassion, and common sense.

Truth may be uncomfortable, but lies are far more destructive.

• Harmony Muyenga is an educator and is keenly interested in ethics and contemporary social challenges.

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