OMUTHIYAGWIIPUNDI – A total of 404 police officers will be deployed in Oshikoto Region during the upcoming Presidential and National Assembly elections, regional commander Commissioner Armas Shivute said on Friday.
He said this at a security briefing here where he informed various political parties of how prepared the force is and how they should conduct themselves during campaigns and on the actual voting day.
Shivute warned political parties to avoid politicising crime, saying crime is just crime irrespective of the situation.
Only three parties – Swapo, APP and representatives of the independent candidate – attended the meeting.
The police chief assured that the force is serious to maintain peace, adding that they will continue working smart and hard towards a crime-free campaign season.
“What I am presenting here today is a story of assurance that we can confidently say that we are ready to police this campaign and upcoming election, and to achieve this we need fresh thinking,” said Shivute. He further emphasised that there is nothing to lose or gain when crime is reported, hinting that there is no waiting period to report any violation of the electoral code of conduct to the police.
The commissioner further urged the officers to exercise alertness, approachability, professionalism, and maintain impartiality, as well as enhance cooperation and collaboration with other role players.
“If we are not beating the drum loud enough, the community has the right to criticise us. Let us make use of our training skills on how to deal with easy come, easy go situations,” he urged.