Funding for civil society organisations (CSOs) remains scarce, while the ailing economy meant the private sector was unable or unwilling to step in.

This was the biggest challenge that can be seen in the newly launched 2021 Civil Society Organisation (CSOs) Sustainability Index that was launched by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) today.

According to IPPR director Graham Hopwood, financial viability has been a problem for civil society in Namibia for a number of years. “That is the biggest threat to us, that many CSOs find it very difficult to remain financially sustainable,” he said.

Other areas the report looked at includes the legal environment, organisational capacity, advocacy, service provision, sectorial infrastructure and public image.

According to Hopwood it is also important to remember the context of 2021, with the domination of the third wave of Covid-19. Hopwood added that Namibia was also in recession before Covid hit in 2020. “Things were really difficult and a lot of jobs were lost.”

He said that overall, civil society responded in some ways to the pandemic.

The report outlines the overall sustainability of CSOs, with not much change in 2021 from the previous years. Politically the year was marked by stretches of pandemic-induced inactivity.

“The legal environment was slightly less enabling as the government seemed intent on increased regulation of the sector and a long-standing legal dispute over the right to conduct research was left unresolved,” the report read.