From neighbourhood walk to national movement

Namibia is famous for its endless horizons, the dunes of Sossusvlei, the wild Skeleton Coast, the open plains where wildlife still roams free. But what about the streets, riverbeds and neighbourhoods Namibians pass through every day? That question is at the heart of a new national movement, Cleanup Namibia.

Founded by Dr La-Toya “Lioness” Mwoombola-Hamutenya, a medical doctor, performing artist and proud Namibian, the campaign officially previewed itself at a pre-launch event on 6 August 2026 at Future Media in Windhoek. The gathering drew partners, media, environmental stakeholders and community voices, all rallying around one idea: cleaner spaces build a prouder nation.

For Dr Mwoombola-Hamutenya, the idea began close to home, on a neighbourhood walk that revealed just how much litter had become part of the everyday landscape. That moment sparked a bigger vision – a celebrityled, community-powered platform bringing together Namibia’s public figures, schools, corporates and citizens for visible environmental action.

The movement has already secured backing from the City of Windhoek, the Khomas Region Governor’s Office, the Namibia Tourism Board, Gondwana Collection Namibia, Plastic Packaging and Future Media, with Plastic Packaging supplying refuse bags, recycling bags and gloves for upcoming clean-ups.

Cleanup Namibia’s first major activation is set for Saturday, 19 September 2026 in Windhoek, combining a hands-on clean-up in local constituencies with a community celebration. From there, organisers hope to grow the campaign into an annual platform, spawning localised chapters such as #KeepWindhoekClean and #KeepOranjemundClean across the country.

As Dr Mwoombola-Hamutenya put it, this is not about blame, it’s about shared responsibility, from government to citizens. For a country that markets its beauty to the world, Cleanup Namibia is asking Namibians to make that same pride visible at home.