ONGWEDIVA - The Namibian Police recorded 5 320 cases of gender-based violence perpetrated mostly against women and children last year. 

The revelation was made by the Oshana police chief Naftal Sakaria at the national men’s conference on Wednesday in Ongwediva.

The three-day conference ended yesterday.

According to the commissioner, 447 women, 41 men and 577 children were raped last year.

He further revealed 31 women, 20 men and eight children were murdered during that year.

In Oshana alone, where the conference is taking place, 532 cases of GBV were recorded, of which 86 were rape cases.

This year alone, 423 GBV cases were recorded in Oshana, of which 81 are rape cases.

“It is evident that men are the main perpetrators,” said Sakaria.

The commissioner further expressed that the police witnessed an increase in incidents of men becoming violent towards other men and men committing suicide.

In the last three months, the police in Oshana recorded 19 suicide cases of which 15 are men. Given the number of GBV cases perpetrated mostly by men, the regional commander encouraged men to seek help, cry during difficult times and give themselves time to heal when faced with challenges in their lives. He reiterated that the conference provides a platform where men can gain an understanding of the causes, effects and consequences of GBV and become better men in society. Also speaking at the same event, Namibian Correctional Service commissioner Sam Shaalulange said inmates are taken through a GBV programme to educate them on violence and to caution them on the implications thereof as the facilities receive a high number of inmates sentenced for GBV-related cases.

Shaalulange said the facilities across the country house 4 200 inmates.

He said 890 of those inmates are incarcerated for murder while 797 are incarcerated for rape.

Shaalulange said 522 of the inmates are perpetrators of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm while 22 are serving sentences of sexual offences involving minor children. Other issues raised at the conference include men being turned away at the police stations when reporting GBV cases.

Participants claim the police especially the women laugh at them when they turn up to report cases.

However, police spokesperson in Oshana Tomas Aiyambo said the problem is known and has been addressed and encouraged the men to register their cases.

Other issues that dominated the conference are that of men being denied conjugal rights, men paying for sex in relationships and the correlation between absent fathers and violence,

However, men are encouraged to exit toxic relations and to give without expecting anything in return when the relationship turns sour.

Shaalulange said research conducted in the facilities with the inmates shows that there is a connection between absent fathers and violent behaviour.

*Nuusita Ashipala is an information officer at MICT Oshana.