Onesmus Embula
OTJIWARONGO – Otjozondjupa Governor Otto Ipinge has pledged to abstain from any form of violence, urging the region’s inhabitants to follow suit.
Ipinge, in his remarks during the opening of the #BreakFree Anti-Violence campaign in Otjiwarongo on Tuesday said his office endorses the first step in which the public is encouraged to suppress violence and take a stand on actively being part of bringing about lasting societal changes.
The #BreakFree Anti-Violence campaign is an initiative of the Office of the First Lady, aimed to contribute towards violence prevention through awareness raising around various forms of violence as well as finding pragmatic solutions towards prevention of violence.
Governor Ipinge, addressing the gathering, said he was worried that intimate partner violence is recorded as the most prevalent form of violence against women, and affecting children, in Namibia.
“As you may have observed in recent years, half of all the women killed in any given year in this country are murdered by intimate partners or relatives,” he noted.
He referred to the devastating physical, social, emotional and financial impact of domestic violence upon individuals and families, stressing that children exposed to violence are more likely to be perpetrators of violence as adults. “I therefore strongly urge that this cycle of violence must be stopped,” he said.
Ipinge described domestic violence a criminal behaviour that requires action by the justice system. To this effect, he encourages victims to report their experiences in order to help and improve services available for those affected by these crimes.
“Everyone has a vital role in supporting victims, so let us all take active steps to hold perpetrators to account and keep women and children safe from any form of violence and abuse,” said Ipinge.
He further commend the Government of the Republic of Namibian for taking a big step forward in halting gender-based violence in line with reviewing a comprehensive rape amendment bill.
The two-day #BreakFree community violence prevention awareness outreach is the first of its kind in Otjozondjupa Region, hosted in collaboration with B2Gold Namibia in both Otjiwarongo and Otavi. The campaign has directly engaged with over 36,000 individuals within communities across the nation following its launch about two years ago.