Elizabeth Hiyolwa
NKURENKURU – The minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security Albert Kawana guaranteed police officers at the Namasira Police Post the inauguration of a prefabricated barracks will take place by the latest June.
He said plans to construct decent structures for them is underway.
“And I promise you we will be here maybe by or before June to inaugurate a better structure here. I want to make sure – either next week or after next week – the contractor must be on-site,” he said, “because you are doing a good job, it’s our responsibility as government to make sure that your working environment is conducive.”
He said this during a site visit at the post, which he undertook together with Namibian police chief Sebastian Ndeitunga last week.
Namasira Police Post is located 75 kilometres west of Nkurenkuru and borders the Kavango West and Ohangwena regions.
The visit aimed to assess the situation at the site after the structures in which police officers lived were destroyed by heavy rains last December.
The planned construction will, among others, include three blocks of barracks for officers, with a kitchen, ablution facilities and a charge office.
Deputy commissioner Abner Agas highlighted the crucial role of the post, stating that the police use the post to curb crimes into the area, such as stock theft, smuggling of goods from the neighbouring country Angola, rape, gender-based violence and other crimes.
“The area is so crucial. Most of the goods smuggled from the neighbouring country Angola go through this point on their way to Rundu, Nkurenkuru and other parts of the country,” he highlighted.
Agas further said the police officers also assist the public from the two neighbouring regions: Ohangwena and Oshikoto, whose nearest police stations are far from farms and villages.
“The police respond to all those calls from here, as the nearest police station from here is Omauni, which is about 45km from here, and is situated Ohangwena region,” he added.