Minor offenders call for record clearance

Since being jailed in 1995 for forging his cousin’s Grade 10 certificate, Eduard Kambamba has struggled to find employment for the past 31 years.

He has been selling tomatoes at Katutura’s Stop and Shop complex to make a living because his criminal record has prevented him from getting a decent job.

Kambamba (49) is one of several people calling for amendments to laws on minor offences to allow petty convictions to be removed from criminal records, arguing that this would enable affected individuals to rebuild their lives.

They want the introduction of a legal framework that would allow their criminal records to be expunged after a sentence has been served.

The Namibian Criminal Procedure Act of 1997 makes no statutory provision for the expungement of criminal records.

Consequently, any valid criminal conviction results in a permanent criminal history, barring a direct presidential pardon.

“These are petty crimes, we cannot be denied a living for over 30 years,” Kambamba says.