Children need to play in a clean and safe environment.
Playing touch/tag, making up games and playing hide and seek are more than just ways to pass the time – they are key activities for child development.
According to the World Health Organisation’s 2026 report titled ‘Guide to Creating Urban Public Spaces for Children’, playing is essential for keeping children physically fit and healthy and teaching them skills they will use throughout their lives, including: healthy relationship building, conflict resolution, and resilience.
Whether it is a neighbourhood park, a school playground, or a backyard, children need safe, open, outdoor spaces to play.
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund’s 2021 discussion paper, ‘The Necessity of Urban Green Space for Children’s Optimal Development’, reported that access to green spaces leads to improved cognition, greater physical activity and fewer behavioural and social issues among young people.
Unfortunately some, if not most, Namibian children have limited access to these safe, outdoor places for play.
In Windhoek, there are currently 32 city park facilities – 17 on the east side of the city and 15 in the west.
However, there have been reports that some parks may be underused as residents feel that they are unsafe, under-maintained or unfit for different age groups of children.
From the period of August 2024 to March this year, several articles in the Windhoek Observer, Namibian Sun, and New Era reported on the perceived danger of Windhoek’s public parks. In the 2024 New Era article, Windhoek’s parks were described as “hotspots for criminal activities” and “no longer safe for children and adults alike”.
Another article in Namibian Sun alleged that parks in Katutura were less safe and infrequently maintained compared to parks in wealthier areas.
A spokesperson from the City of Windhoek was quoted in the article denying that there is any difference in the city’s maintenance schedule or resources for the different parks.
The Namibian also reported on a 2025 City of Windhoek announcement that two public open spaces in Olympia and Windhoek West had been designated for future development as parks.
The media conversation around parks and the uneasiness of many residents about the safety of these public spaces begs the question: Does our government have a legal responsibility to ensure access to safe public spaces?
The Child Care and Protection Act No 3 of 2015, Namibia’s domestic law governing children’s rights, establishes in its Chapter 2 that all children have the “right to conditions necessary for his/her development”, including “play and leisure”.
The “conditions necessary” for development through play and leisure is a broad statement, but access to safe recreational spaces could likely be encapsulated by this.
Beyond our domestic laws, Namibia has a responsibility to ensure the right to children’s play and leisure as laid out in our international law agreements.
Namibia is a party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states that all signatories acknowledge that children have a right to rest and leisure, including to “engage in play and recreational activities” (Article 31).
Similarly, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child states that: “the child, due to the needs of his physical and mental development, requires particular care with regard to health, physical, mental, moral and social development, and requires legal protection in conditions of freedom, dignity and security…”
So, if we agree that the government has an obligation to ensure access to the right conditions for child development – including play and leisure, which government offices are responsible for guaranteeing access to these resources, including public parks?
The Local Authorities Act of 1992 specifies that local authority councils in cities, towns and villages have the responsibility to maintain, construct, and create regulations about public places, including swimming pools, gardens, pavilions, public conveniences, or other facilities, with the approval of the minister of urban and rural development.
As a resident in a town or city, you can influence your council representatives to take action to create and maintain recreational space. Your voice matters. If you feel like there are too few safe parks in your neighbourhood or that the park around the corner from your house is poorly maintained, you can advocate for your council members to address the issue.
One way that you can do this is by requesting a public council meeting on a certain issue, like the establishment of safe recreational spaces. If your council does not act on your request, you can collect the signatures from 10% of the constituents in your area showing support for a public meeting on the specific topic, and the council must host a meeting.
Your local representatives work for you, your families and your children.
Our government has an obligation under domestic and international law to ensure that children have the right conditions for development, which includes access to play and leisure.
By ensuring that our children have access to safe places for play through neighbourhood parks, our government will uphold their responsibilities to our young people and help to safeguard the development of the next generation.
* This article was made possible by support from the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF). The contents expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views and opinions of the HSF.
