WINDHOEK – Namibian Police Chief, Inspector-General Sebastian Ndeitunga yesterday announced the appointment of Commissioner Henrich Tjiveza as the new regional police commander of Khomas Region, the seat of the executive.
Ndeitunga announced Commissioner Tjiveza will take over from Desederius Shilunga as the regional commander of the Khomas Region after Shilunga was promoted from the rank of a commissioner to that of a major-general.
Shilunga will take over from Major-General James Tjivikua as the second-in-command of the force in charge of administration
while Tjivikua will retain the rank of major-general responsible for operations.
Previously, Tjivikua occupied both positions.
He also announced that the former head of the Ruben Danger Ashipala Police Training Centre in Ondangwa will take over the VIP directorate and the former head of the VIP directorate, Commissioner Annanias Muzile will now take over as the commander of the Special Field Force.
At the same occasion the police chief lamented the issuing of special liquor licences.
This contributes to the assaults, stabbings and robberies that take place over weekends when these establishments are open until the wee hours of the next day’s morning.
According to Ndeitunga, when the other shebeens close at 10h00, the ones with the special licences are flocked with revellers, causing overcrowding and subsequent fights.
He said there is a need to control alcohol abuse in Namibia, which inevitably leads to gender-based violence.
Gender-based violence is not a phenomenon limited to Namibia only, but it tears families apart all over the world and the underlying cause is alcohol abuse, he said.
Ndeitunga also touched on the issue of the two police officers who recently killed their partners and then turned their weapons onto themselves.
He implored members of the police who find themselves in difficult circumstances to approach the correct channels in the police and to seek professional advice and help.
“We have the chaplains and the counsellors to deal with such issues,” he said.
He further said the Namibian Police is in the process of looking at the social wellness of its members.
The police chief is of the opinion that the force should attract profession-oriented people who want to make the force a career.
He said while the majority of the police force are people of integrity, there is a danger of some rotten apples slipping in.
“When the river comes down, it not only brings fish with it but snakes as well,” he said.
Ndeitunga said police work is a calling and called on the community to assist the police in carrying out their mandate and added that it is only with public cooperation that Namibia can become a safe place for all citizens and visitors.