Keetmanshoop
//Karas Regional Governor Lucia Basson yesterday officially launched Operation Omake at Keetmanshoop – the regional capital of //Karas.
Speaking at the launch at one of the identified crime hotspots, she said the day was not to celebrate but to recall and recollect with great sadness the happenings of October last year when two sisters lost their lives to crime.
She recalled that the 2015 double murder of 18-year-old Jacqueline Kuaseua, who was a Grade 10 learner at Augustenium Secondary School, and her 30-year-old sister Cecilia Zembuu Kuaseua, prompted President Hage Geingob to call for an integrated crime combating strategy, culminating in Omake.
Basson said the operation in the
//Karas Region will include clearing of river beds and bushy areas in all local authorities that have been identified as nesting places for criminals as well as installing street lights in crime-prone areas.
The same event also saw the commemoration of International Women’s Day under the national theme ‘Zero gender-based violence towards 50-50 gender equality,’ and the governor called on men and boys to work towards achieving gender equality.
“The commemoration today is aimed at mobilizing men and boys to march in support of gender equality and women empowerment,” she said.
The Nampol regional commander of //Karas Region and gold commander of the Omake operation Commisioner Johannes Tsuseb emphasised the importance of the operation, saying it is aimed at preventing crime and protecting lives and property.
The operation will entail intensive law enforcement and integrated crime prevention activities.
He further underscored that Omake will entail cleaning and flattening riverbeds and other crime hotspots to ensure crime is no longer prevalent in such identified areas.
He called on a collective effort from all stakeholders if the objectives of the operation are to be met.
“This is a mammoth task and in order for us to succeed we must effectively coordinate our activities and work together as a team,” he said.
Luciano Lambert, a Grade 12 learner at Suiderlig High School, said he was happy to be part of the initiative, adding that it’s a good thing as lives will be saved by cleaning up the most dangerous places in Keetmanshoop.
“It is good because criminals will have nowhere to hide and it will be safer for our people that make use of these ways to go to town,” he said.
Community members and leaders, members of the police and army, personnel from different ministries, learners and students from various institutions turned up to help with the clearing up.