KATIMA MULILO – The state prosecutor in the Zambezi region Bruna Mukoya said many cases of domestic violence and elderly abuse need to be addressed urgently here.

Speaking at public hearings on the petition on sexual, gender-based violence and femicide at Katima Mulilo on Monday, he stressed that some domestic violence cases have received undeserving verdicts due to a lack of human resources and proper investigations, which at the end of the day sees them being thrown out.

“We don’t have victim-friendly facilities to house and protect these victims,” Mukoya stated.

Giving statistics from the police’s records, Namibian Police Force (NamPol) detective, Warrant Officer Harris Mwangu revealed that over 700 cases of domestic violence, dating back to January 2022, are yet to be resolved in the Zambezi region. Most of the reported cases are between boyfriend and girlfriend, or spouses, and alcohol is usually involved.

“Our bars and alcohol outlets operate until late, mostly from morning to the next morning. This also contributes to alcohol abuse and domestic violence,” said Mwangu. Other causes of domestic violence and sexual abuse include child maintenance disputes and drug abuse.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare registered that cases of child neglect and baby dumping are on the rise in the region, with five cases of baby dumping having been reported in 2023 in Katima Mulilo alone. One of the main reasons for this, social worker in the ministry Memory Matengu stated, is due to a lack of emotional and financial support from the father’s side. 

She also highlighted the issue of street kids as an area of concern.

“The ministry has been addressing the issue, but these are children who have adapted to the lifestyle on the street, which means that they go to school in the morning and go back to the streets in the afternoon,” Matengu stressed. - Nampa