Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security Albert Kawana said the longstanding issue of challenging living conditions for officers at border posts and rural policing areas would soon be resolved.
Addressing the ministry’s staff members on Monday, Kawana shared the proactive steps taken to tackle the problem, as the implementation of prefabricated structures marks a crucial development in providing suitable accommodation. Notable locations benefiting from this initiative include the Elundu police post, the Omakange police station, Onderombapa police station, as well as accommodation units at the Police Farm in the Omaheke region.
The move is poised to bring about positive change, ensuring improved living standards for law-enforcement officers who have faced difficulties due to inadequate accommodation in these remote areas.
Following the promotion of 4 682 police officers, Kawana said the creation of the rank of senior inspector will go a long way in addressing gaps. This has also resulted in the promotion of various police officers, possibly the most comprehensive promotion in the police ever.
“I am pleased to announce that this month, I will be officiating at the groundbreaking ceremony at Ncamagoro in the Kavango West region, and Greenwell Matongo and Kalimbeza in the Zambezi region, where additional police facilities will be constructed,” he stated.
The minister said the police department works so hard to ensure that law and order are maintained. The Namibian Police Force has also, during the period under review, successfully completed nine major explosive ordinance clearance projects in various regions of the country.
“In order to prevent crime and preserve state properties, the Force has managed to expand Close Circuit Television (CCTV) coverage to border posts at Noordoewer, Ariamsvlei, Trans-Kalahari and Wenela. The Force further managed to expand CCTV coverage to police facilities at the Kavango West regional headquarters, and the Nkurenkuru and Onkumbula police stations,” he noted.
Furthermore, the Force managed to train 329 members, which boosted capacity in critical areas of policing such as criminal investigations, gender-based violence (GBV) and contemporary crimes such as cybercrime and money laundering.
The ministry also continues to meet the demand for identity cards (IDs). During the period under review, 116,354 IDs were printed. However, the ministry is sitting with 39,168 of these IDs still to be collected.
“I, therefore, direct the executive director to put a programme in place to inform the owners of these IDs to collect them. We must make use of both print and electronic media for this purpose,” he urged.
Meanwhile, chief of police Inspector General Joseph Shikongo stated that 44% of female officers were promoted among the 4 682 officers who were recently elevated.
“It has not been easy, but with the support of Dr Albert Kawana, George Simataa (Secretary to Cabinet) and the executive director of the ministry, it was made possible. During my inaugural speech on 1 September 2022, I promised a number of things to be accomplished during my tenure of office,” he said.
Shikongo also promised accommodation to police officers in rural settings next year, while the promotion of Force members will continue.
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