The Rule of Law Must Apply Equally in Namibia’s E-Hailing Industry
By Melkies Ausiku |
I founded LEFA Transportation Services in 2018 after being retrenched from my electrical engineering job between 2015 and 2017. What began as a difficult personal chapter became an opportunity to build a Namibian ride-hailing company focused on innovation, convenience, and job creation.
As one of the pioneers of ride-hailing in Namibia, LEFA has also faced compliance challenges. But instead of using those challenges as an excuse, we worked with the relevant authorities and made sure our drivers complied with the laws and regulations governing Namibia’s transport industry.
It was not always easy, but it was necessary.
That is why I believe Namibia must be careful not to create the impression that some operators can participate in the transport market while ignoring the laws that others are required to follow.
The issue of illegal operators on Yango’s platform is serious and must be addressed consistently. Every driver or operator offering transport services for reward in Namibia must obey the country’s laws and regulatory requirements. This should apply equally to all platforms, whether local or international.
Innovation must never be used as a shield against the rule of law. E-hailing platforms are welcome in Namibia, but they must operate within Namibia’s legal framework. Compliance cannot be optional, selective, or delayed simply because a company is growing fast or trying to capture market share.
It is also important that social challenges such as Namibia’s high unemployment rate are not used as a justification for non-compliance. Unemployment is a real and painful issue, and all of us want to see more opportunities created for Namibians.
However, economic hardship cannot become a legal exemption.
If we allow one sector to use unemployment as a reason to bypass regulation, we set the wrong precedent for the rest of the economy. The same argument could then be used in other industries where people are also struggling to make a living. That would weaken the rule of law across the board and create an uneven playing field for businesses that have chosen to comply.
This is especially dangerous in the transport sector, where compliance is tied to passenger safety, accountability, licensing, roadworthiness, and proper oversight. These are not minor administrative issues. They are essential standards meant to protect the public and maintain order in the industry.
Law-abiding operators should not be punished for doing the right thing while others benefit from non-compliance. That distorts competition, undermines trust, and discourages responsible investment in Namibia’s transport sector.
My own experience with LEFA proves that compliance challenges are not an excuse for unlawful operations. We also had obstacles. We also had to adjust. We also had to work with authorities to align with the law. That is the responsibility of every operator in a regulated sector.
Namibia should welcome innovation, but innovation must adapt to Namibia’s laws, not the other way around. If Yango is serious about compliance, then there should be no ambiguity: every operator on its platform must obey and adhere to Namibia’s transport laws and regulations.
Namibia cannot afford to create a precedent where legal obligations are softened because of social pressure or commercial convenience. We need solutions to unemployment, yes, but those solutions must still operate within the law.
Equal rules, equal enforcement, and equal accountability are what will build a fair, safe, and sustainable transport industry in Namibia.
– Melkies Ausiku is the Founder of LEFA Transportation Services (Pty) Ltd.
