OSHAKATI – The Angolan children roaming the streets across the country will be rounded up and taken to a safe place before the end of June, minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security Albert Kawana has said.
“We have secured some premises where they will be kept. They will be profiled with the involvement of the Angolan government, and we look forward to resolving this issue as soon as possible,” said the
minister.
Kawana made the remarks when he met with the Oshana regional leadership last Wednesday to sensitise them to spearhead the ongoing mass registration of citizens without national documents, including undocumented persons and stateless persons.
The minister stated that every Namibian is entitled to possess a national document.
“National documents are very important because they enable our citizens to access various services from the government and, therefore, to us it is a very important exercise,” said Kawana.
At the end of the exercise, every person who is registered will be profiled.
The minister said the registration is going well thus far, with Oshana recording the lowest turn-up since the commencement of the registration.
Other regions with low registration are //Kharas and Hardap.
Ohangwena has recorded the highest turn-up of persons registering for national documents for the first time, followed by Zambezi, Kavango East, Kavango West and Omaheke.
Kawana warned poachers who fire at the police, NDF and game guards.
“The law is very clear. If you open fire at these patriotic nationals who are guarding our natural resources, they have a right to defend themselves in terms of the law,” he stressed.
The minister said there has been no arrest of a foreigner in the national parks to date – only Namibians.
“What has happened to our patriotism that we are being used to loot our resources by foreigners?” asked Kawana.
Police chief Joseph Shikongo, who was also in attendance, said 28 rhinos were poached since January, while 41 people were shot and wounded.
*Nuusita Ashipala is an information officer at MICT – Oshana.