RUNDU – One-hundred and forty-six police officers were promoted in Kavango East last week.
Speaking during the ceremony, regional commander Andreas Haingura cautioned the officers against the irresponsible use of social media and other digital platforms.
Of the promoted officers to different ranks are 48 females and 98 males, with the highest rank being senior inspector.
“I must warn you that we are listening too much on social media. I have nothing against social media, but there are a lot of stories doing rounds on social media that are going to confuse you, and at the end of the day, you will become indisciplined. When promotions come, you will be left behind,’’ Haingura said.
He told his subordinates who qualified for promotions that being promoted means they are now going to be given a responsibility to lead others.
As such, he urged them to make sure that their teams maintain the discipline that the police force requires.
Haingura encouraged those who were promoted for the first time to keep on behaving, to maintain discipline, to report for duty punctually, and to do their jobs professionally.
“There’s no mountain that can stop you; you can become a regional commander one day, provided you maintain discipline and you do your job well,’’ he said.
The commander further advised those who were not happy with their promotions because it was perhaps not sufficient for certain reasons to accept the offers, and engage the inspector general at a later stage.
“Teamwork is what I’m advocating for. I want Kavango East to be the best region. Why can’t we beat the other 13 regions so that we can be the best at how we address issues, and how we conduct ourselves? This is so that when people ask what is happening here, we can proudly say, ‘Because we are from the east’,’’ he said. Meanwhile, in the Kavango West region, which also held its promotion parade the same day, only 41 members were promoted to different ranks.
“This financial year (2024/2025), we did not have enough members eligible for promotion. Hence, 81 members were recommended for promotions. Out of this number, 63 members were promoted, including the 21 members who received their promotions in November 2024 at Ncamagoro police station. Hence, here today, I will hand over promotion letters to 41 members,’’ said Kavango West police regional commander, Commissioner Julia Sakuwa-Neo.
Promoted members range from two senior inspectors, two inspectors, warrants and sergeants. Males are 32, while 10 are female. It is important to stress that members of the Force are promoted in recognition of their commitment and dedication to national duties, said Sakuwa-Neo