Minister of information and communication technology Emma Theofelus has come under fire from consumer rights activists after saying pensioners who fall victim to online scams are to blame themselves.
Theofelus last week in parliament said people who fall victim to online scams, including pensioners who lose their retirement payouts, have a responsibility to protect themselves.
She was speaking in parliament on the effectiveness of mandatory SIM card registration to curb telecommunications fraud.
However, consumer and community activist Shaun Gariseb says the government should be responsible for raising awareness campaigns to protect vulnerable citizens.
He argues that senior government officials themselves have fallen prey to such scams in the past and the blame should not be placed on the victims.
In 2022, minister of defence and veterans affairs Frans Kapofi was allegedly swindled out of N$200 000 by a man claiming to work for a well-known bank over the phone.
Kapofi told the media at the time that he had no reason to suspect the professional-sounding voice on the phone.
In 2024, then prime minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila opened a case of fraud and theft after she was scammed out of N$159 000 by a suspect pretending to be a bank official, the police confirmed.
The police at the time said the suspect contacted Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, pretending to be a bank official, requested her password and transferred money from her account without her consent.
Gariseb says this places desperate citizens in a more vulnerable position.
“Imagine if a former prime minister and speaker of parliament can be a victim or can be hoodwinked into such chicanery, desperate citizens and pensioners are easy bait,” he says.
Gariseb adds: “We need more awareness campaigns on all radios and televisions to protect our citizens.
How is the Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) protecting SIM card scamming loopholes?”
According to Theofelus, scammers exploit situations where individuals make their personal information, including financial details, publicly accessible.
“The weakest link in safeguarding citizens is citizens themselves.’’
She said many retirees receiving lump-sum pension payouts quickly become targets once it is known that funds have landed in their accounts
“Even if all measures are in place, if citizens do not protect their own information, they create opportunities for scammers to succeed,” Theofelus said.
The minister explained that SIM card registration, a legal requirement under the Communication Act of 2009, was operationalised via government notice number 40 on 15 March 2021.
However, despite the registration process, Theofelus said scammers continue to exploit loopholes, particularly through SIM swap fraud, where criminals clone SIM cards or use personal information to register new SIM cards under someone else’s identity.
The minister said criminals obtain personal documents through job applications, resume submissions, driving licences and identity card copies.
“The ministry is actively coordinating with financial institutions and mobile operators to protect citizens,” she said.
Partners include the Financial Intelligence Centre, Bank of Namibia, MTC Namibia and Telecom Namibia.
Independent Patriots for Change shadow minister of information and communication technology John-Louw Mouton says individual vigilance is important but the core of the issue lies in the current legislative vacuum.
“The minister’s focus on citizen responsibility ignores the fact that without comprehensive data protection and cybercrime laws, it is exceptionally difficult to prosecute offenders,” he says.
He says the lack of a legal framework effectively paints a target on Namibia’s back.
“In 2024, Telecom Namibia suffered a massive data breach affecting approximately 600 000 citizens.
Sensitive information, including identity documents, marriage certificates and financial records used for vetting was compromised. Once this data is leaked to the dark web, it cannot be ‘retrieved’ or ‘deleted,” Mouton says.
He adds that Namibian citizens have no legal framework to hold public or private institutions accountable for such gross negligence.
“Even the most cautious citizen cannot protect their information if state-owned and private institutions are not held to the legal standard of data security.
Until we prioritise passing robust legislation, Namibia will remain a high-risk target for exploitation,” Mouton says.
MTC spokesperson Erasmus Nekundi says the SIM card registration process allows the police to trace scammers through court orders but does not involve MTC taking direct action against online criminals.
Consumers are urged not to share personal information over the phone, and MTC is running a campaign to curb such crimes.
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