It is exactly two days before Christmas. Sunday marks the birth of our saviour Jesus Christ. This worldwide religious holiday is around the corner and the mood in the country cannot be mistaken. There is a lot of hype in the air but in some instances, for the wrong reasons altogether. Most supermarkets are packed with shoppers who are buying presents for their family members, friends and relatives. Restaurants are teeming with appetized and hungry guests who are looking for the best cuisines. Everywhere you go, people are buying and stocking for this special occasion. Windhoek and other towns are gradually turning into ghost places. The usually congested streets are almost empty and traffic is moving at a reasonable pace and with much ease. Along the highways, lines of vehicles moving to far flung towns and villages are a common sight. They include busses and mini-busses that are laden with human cargo and goods. For bus owners, business is brisk and this is what they have been waiting for. Christmas is that time of the year when Christians from all denominations celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The holiday is religious although many have turned it into a time to partying and make merry. The season that includes New Year is a special season for joy and celebration for both believers and non-believers. Yet, instead of Christmas and New Year celebrations becoming times for peace, love, compassion and family occasions, they are usually marred by gruesome road accidents and heinous acts of crime. There are those who turn these special occasions into times of horror through sheer mischief. They go out to commit the most serious crimes against fellow citizens. They rape, kill and maim. Others loot property and take that which does not belong to them. These acts are likely to spoil what was otherwise a good year this time around. We must never allow that to happen. Let this be a Christmas free of crime. Generally, our nation achieved much this year. We saw a smooth transition at the beginning of the year when there was a change of guard from Founding President Sam Nujoma to incumbent Hifikepunye Pohamba. Government, the private sector and individual citizens have rallied behind each other and worked hard to produce goods and services. Despite adverse effects on the economy due to external and natural factors, we have done relatively well. There were also serious challenges. Violence against women and children continued to take its toll. A number of high profile corruption cases were exposed. Lately, there have been incidents of serious crime such as armed robberies. All these we must address in the New Year. We must use this Christmas to thank God the provider and share in the joy of the birth of his Son in the most fitting manner. We must pray for rain and use the occasion to share with the less fortunate. Lastly, we must welcome the New Year with great hope for our nation. We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.