Day: January 20, 2024

OPUWO: Although males are the most frequent offenders of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), they, too, endure violence from their partners and are reluctant to speak up for fear of being judged by the community.

This was said by the chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Gender Equality, Social Development, and Family Affairs, Gothardt Kasuto, during a public hearing on the petition for Sexual and GBV and Femicide at Opuwo on Friday.

Kasuto said men must break the silence on domestic abuse and become active in altering societal views. Some of these abuses might not involve violence, but bad words, public embarrassment, shaming and so forth which could be contributing factors that drive men to suicide.

‘While the majority of abuse conditions against men do not entail violence, men are frequently subjected to abusive and aggressive tones and embarrassments from their spouses, which often leads to depression and suicide,’ he said.

Kasuto was reacting to comments from the men in attendance who revea
led to the committee that, they, too, experience violence from their spouses but do not know how or where to get help for fear of what others may think.

Kunene regional youth chairperson, Tuuakoveni Kenaumue while sharing his opinions, called for the preservation of culture to be used as a weapon to combat GBV, as well as the cessation of detrimental cultural practices, which he believes contribute to GBV.

Speaking at the same occasion, Kunene Namibian Police Force chief of community policing, Vehangaiza Ruiter emphasized that abuse can occur in many forms, including financial, physical, rape, emotional, and discriminatory, and that those who abuse others in some of these forms may be unaware that their actions are a form of abuse while also hurting their unsuspecting victims.

The nationwide hearings were prompted by a petition launched by the #ShutItAllDown Movement#, which called for an end to sexual and GBV and femicide in Namibia.

The committee is chaired by Kasuto, and other members include Jennifer
Van den Heever and Johana Kandjimi.

Source:The Namibia Press Agency

KEETMANSHOOP: Namibian Police Force crime investigations coordinator for ||Kharas region, Deputy Commissioner, Nikodemus Mbango said the region has recorded a significant reduction of 55.3 per cent in cases reported during the 2023/2024 festive season period compared to the previous season.

Mbango in an interview with Nampa on Friday said during the 2023/2024 festive season police in the region recorded 398 cases compared to 892 cases recorded during the 2022/2023 festive season.

This he said was due to the increase in police presence and public awareness.

‘We came up with a strategy to reduce crime called boots on the ground and initiated crime prevention patrols as well as a community awareness campaign. Also during this period no police officer was allowed to take vacation leave as instructed by our regional commander and all this helped in reducing crime in the region,’ he said.

Mbango further revealed that the region recorded about three murders compared to seven recorded in the previous season as we
ll as 13 domestic violence, 25 housebreaking, 22 robbery, seven rape and 23 stock theft cases.

About 44 suspects were arrested during the 2023/2024 festive season period in drug-related cases compared to only 15 arrested during the 2022/2023 festive season.

Police confiscated 28 kilograms of cannabis, 182 Mandrax tablets, six half mandrax tablets and five quarters of madrax tablets all valued at N.dollars 1.1 million.

‘With drugs, we have a 100 per cent arrest because we are proactive because when we find you with drugs we arrest you, unlike the other crimes that we have to prevent from happening or we have to wait for the crime to be committed to make an arrest,’ said Mbango.

Mbango went on to say that about 44 motor vehicle accidents were reported during the 2023/2024 festive season with one life lost while four persons were seriously injured, six were slightly injured and a total of 46 vehicles were involved in the accidents.

He commended the inhabitants of the region and urged them to continue workin
g closely with the police in the fight against crime. ‘Let us continue putting our efforts together as we did during the festive season and fight crime head on,’ he urged.

Source:The Namibia Press Agency

KEETMANSHOOP: !Nami#Nus Constituency Councillor, Susan Ndjaleka has called on government to prioritise building a new school at Lderitz ahead of the much-anticipated developments earmarked for the town.

Ndjeleka made the call in a recent interview with Nampa, saying people have started migrating to Lderitz because of the developments around the town such as the green hydrogen and oil.

The current schools, she said might therefore, not be able to accommodate all school-going children.

‘As we speak now we sit with schools that have waiting lists of close to 100 learners, and even though we have in the past said that we need a new school, this time around we need it urgently,’ she stressed.

The coastal town has five government schools, including three primary schools, one secondary school and a senior secondary school.

‘Support from the government and the private sector is really needed to build a new school, and not just the school, we also need a new hospital to accommodate everyone as well as a satellite
police station to ensure the safety of our residents,’ Ndjaleka added.

Approached for comment Namib Circuit Inspector, Casius Shanjengange urged parents whose children were placed on the waiting lists to remain calm and patient, noting that the directorate is aware of the situation and is working hard to ensure learners’ placement.

‘We cannot say that schools are full however we are already looking at alternatives when the problem arises to see how we can mitigate, because currently most of our classrooms are running at 47 learners. We have an issue with learners that still have to return and we are waiting for them before we give their places to the new ones. Should they forfeit them, these places will be filled by the new learners,’ he said.

On plans to construct a new school, Shanjengange said council already donated the land and a submission was made eight years ago for assistance in that regard.

Source:The Namibia Press Agency

RUNDU: The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on Friday donated a mobile storage unit to the Divundu Correctional Facility in the Kavango East Region, to enhance food storage.

In a joint media statement issued here on Saturday WFP Country Director Dr George Fedha said with a combined storage capacity of 450 metric tonnes, the storage unit will provide essential support to the Divundu Correctional Facility which is recognised as one of the largest Namibia Correctional Services (NCS) producing farm in the country.

The storage will be utilized to store maize and wheat grains which will undergo processing to produce maize meal, bread flour and bread.

The resulting food products will be distributed to Correctional institutions countrywide as well as to selected Namibia police stations, he said.

Fedha said this efficient system aims to minimise food waste and guarantees a consistent supply of food rations to inmates.

‘To address issues of food waste, the WFP has been exploring possibilities for increasi
ng food storage facilities for the Namibian government, leveraging its experience as the world’s largest humanitarian organization and the lead on logistics and supply for the United Nations system,’ he said.

Accepting the donation, Commissioner General of the NCS Raphael Hamunyela pledged to utilize the storage unit efficiently, ensuring that it contributes to the sustainable management of its supplies.

Source:The Namibia Press Agency