Marythar Kambinda

KATIMA MULILO – Inspector General of the Namibian Police Joseph Shikongo, who was in the Zambezi region on official engagements recently, announced the appointment of Johannes Paulus as the new unit commander of the Reserve Force.

Paulus was promoted from the rank of inspector to chief inspector, replacing Chief Inspector Willem Goeieman, who was transferred.

Shikongo called on those who have been promoted not to be a liability to the organisation but an asset. 

“In a place like Katima Mulilo, I do not want to hear that police officers are called but they inform community members that there are no cars to attend scenes of crime. Whatever car is available should go and serve the community,” he said at a police parade that took place in Katima Mulilo last Friday.

“Service delivery, including customer care, quality of investigations, dealing with a docket as well as making sure you complete your investigations on time and provide feedback, is important. We don’t want people calling us and saying they opened a case and nothing is coming forth; we don’t need them to do that,” he stressed.

“We know there is a group of people who are demanding to cut Zambezi – or they call it Caprivi – from the rest of Namibia. Namibia is independent in its totality – and as the inspector general, responsible for internal security, I will make sure Namibia remains intact,” Shikongo assured.

“We are not advocating violence – but for anybody who is playing around, provoking the peace and stability of our republic, the long arm of the law will obviously be exercised. Therefore, we have to make sure we have the capacity to ensure our country is safe, and that it remains peaceful, including this region,” he stated. 

Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security Albert Kawana said the territorial integrity of Namibia is not negotiable as per the Namibian Constitution, which defines the country’s boundaries.

“Internal security is very important for the peace and stability of our country,” he noted.

Kawana stated that his ministry is one of the best-performing ministries. Therefore, those who are employed within the ministry should take pride and continue working in coordination with other ministries and agencies.

He promised that more promotions and recruitments into the police are still to come, so those who were not promoted should not despair.

*Marythar Kambinda is an information officer for MICT in the Zambezi region.

Photo: Shikongo

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