WINDHOEK – Domestic violence got another mention in the National Council yesterday with the vice chairperson of the National Council, Margaret Mensah-Williams yesterday arguing that there is need to investigate the root causes of gender-based violence.
Mensah-Williams was questioning the effectiveness of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act of 2003 in the National Council. Her comments came in the wake of the death of 32-year-old Vistorina Amunyela who was shot at point-blank range by her boyfriend, Kashimba Petrus, a soldier in the Namibian Defence Force at Outapi last Thursday. Petrus committed suicide immediately after shooting Amunyela. Mensah-Williams argued that although studies and data on Gender-Based Violence has been collected prior to the development and adoption of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act of 2003, little is known with regard to the improvement that has occurred as a result of the legislation.
Critical areas that need further investigation include investigating the root causes of gender-based violence she said. “Are communities feeling protected under the Act or is it just a document that remains on paper and yield no relevance to domestic violence victims or potential victims?” she queried. She said the issue of gender-based violence deserves closer scrutiny, since a number of underlying issues might be to blame for the actions of perpetrators, adding that the increasing incidence of violence committed by young people is a cause for serious concern.
According to Mensah-Williams the increase in violence in the country is fueled by the traumatic experiences that many Namibians have gone through during the liberation struggle and also other gruesome activities that have been happening post-independence. She wants the government to consider this issue as an emergency by establishing a Trauma Centre that will provide counseling to victims of violence. “We are traumatized, and if we do not deal with trauma effectively, we will never [prevail against] the scourge of violence in this country,” Mensah-Wiliams argued.
The Khomasdal North constituency councillor further reminded lawmakers about the number of brutal incidents that took place in her constituency and other places this year alone. These include the murder of 19-year-old Desiree Rooinasie whose body was found in Windhoek’s Goreangab area at the end of March. This is the same area where 17-year-old Augustineum Secondary School learner Rina !Nau/gawases was raped and killed earlier that month. The body of 18-year-old Melody !Urikhos, was also found between Shandumbala and the Western Bypass in the capital at the beginning of April. While in the Erongo Region in the same month Roberta Gaeses was killed and her body was found hidden under a pile of rubbish at the Kolin Foundation Secondary School. These are just some of the few incidents that have hit Namibian families this year.
The chairperson of the National Council Asser Kapere also described Amunyela’s killing as an act of cowardice and reminded fellow lawmakers that the senseless killing of innocent women and children in the country cannot be left to continue undeterred. “As long as there are elements in our society who do not treasure the life of fellow human beings, particularly women and children, we must as leaders device sustained campaigns that teach our people to find peaceful solutions to differences in their lives,” says Kapere. Both Kapere and Mensah-Williams are of the opinion that the current trend of violence calls for very urgent action with a focus on prevention, which should identify men or boys who are at risk of committing gender-based violence. Mensah-Williams also wants a certain level of self-love and confidence instilled in young girls and women, which would help them to recognize the early signs in a potentially abusive partner. The National Council is meeting to review the Water Resources Management Bill and the Public Accountants and Auditors Amendment Bill.
By Tonateni Shidhudhu