Windhoek
Just a few weeks after lawmakers bemoaned lax security on parliament premises, criminals took advantage of the situation when they broke into Swanu of Namibia’s president, Usutuaije Maamberua’s vehicle on Saturday afternoon and in the process stealing several items.
Although MPs were heavily criticised for agitating for beefed up security, this incident would surely give credibility to their appeal.
Maamberua said a laptop, several documents and a mobile phone were stolen from his car.
The incident took place in the public parking lot of parliament, which the public mostly uses.
Robbers had access to the items after smashing one of the rear windows with an unknown object.
He opened a case of theft registered under CR 481/05/2015 with the police on the same day.
Speaking to New Era from the Windhoek Central Police Station just minutes after his Toyota Land Cruiser station wagon was broken into, unlike other MPs who want security at parliament to be beefed up, Maamberua said he was not really worried by the level of security at parliament, but rather security across the entire country.
“I went to the office to do some work, after some time I came to the car to fetch something in the car and went back. I only stayed for about 20 minutes in the office after leaving the car and when I got back to drive home, I found that my car was broken into. Someone must have been watching me from a distance,” narrated Maamberua.
“Security across the country is a concern because it is not only MPs that are under threat, our ordinary citizens also continue to lose their items because of theft,” stated Maamberua. He said there is a need to beef up security across the country. “Some of us can afford to have bodyguards but what about our people who cannot afford it. Security has become a commodity in this country and we need to protect our people,” said a concerned Maamberua.
“The police must stop focusing on corruption where they continue to be bribed and focus on crime prevention,” he said.
He also questioned the investigating capacity of the police to effectively track down stolen items.
“People have lost faith in the police because even if they report cases of theft nothing happens,” said the veteran politician. He said the lack of devotion towards their duties and poor training are some of the factors that continue to hamper the performance of the police. Maamberua’s Pionierspark residence was also a target about two years ago when robbers entered his yard and broke his bedroom window. They did not get away with anything on that occasion.
Last month, in the National Assembly DTA of Namibia president McHenry Venaani complained about the lack of security at the national legislature, adding, “There are angry citizens out there who might attack lawmakers.”