2008-06-13Staff Report 2 "EEWA! Frederick Philander I DON'T make a habit of writing this column unless it is absolutely necessary, especially when my personal civil duties, moral rights and obligations as a law-abiding citizen are under threat. Yes, I have heard it for the umpteenth time and will probably hear it for ages to come, 'One has to look at the bigger picture to understand the escalating and spiralling crime rate in the country, the people are hungry.' The question arises, is this justified when the lives and property of ordinary, law-abiding and patriotic citizens are willfully and constantly plundered and threatened by the very criminals with whom some people in society have some sort of weird sympathy? I say, no. ""Enough is enough."" Windhoek, to my mind, has now really become the Fort Knox of Africa based on the fact that most houses and businesses are de-decorated with all sorts of security gadgets and burglar bars and yet the criminals continue unabated. And on top of it, security companies rake in millions for protecting people's properties. The other evening two burglars were shot dead near the area where I live apparently having broken through a wall at a house and stealing property. The police were lying in wait for the thugs to collect the booty the same evening. All hell broke loose with multiple gunshots fired in the early evening close by my house. My poor three-year-old daughter sitting with me on the stoep at the time the shots were fired was so panic-stricken on hearing the shots that she had to be given a medicinal stimulus. In my opinion, these no-do-gooders that daily terrorise our neighbourhoods are indirectly helped and assisted by the local authorities because they innocently stand, lie, pee and sit around under the guise of looking for work in these residential areas. For humanitarian reasons and probably for political reasons, the Windhoek City Council is providing these hoodlums some shelters placed strategically. I have no qualms with that either, but in my mind such shelters offer these people ample opportunity to scout around during the day when we, taxpayers, are at work and then commit these regular break-ins at our homes. Of late in my area, they don't use these shelters paid for by our tax monies, but audaciously move onto the streets, pestering and harassing drivers in passing cars at basically every robot in the area. Something drastically and pragmatically needs to be done before the situation turns ugly. This is what the police should be concerned about and summarily remove these people from the robots where they constantly obstruct the traffic before these unemployed people get knocked over by road raged drivers. Is it then strange that tertiary education students last week recommended that the Namibian defence Force needs to be deployed to help the police to curb the crime rate? The inhabitants of this city and basically the whole country are kept perpetually hostage because of the unstoppable crime rate, something that does not at all augur well with tourists and overseas investors. Keep on protecting your families and your properties. Until next time. God bless. Eewa! " 2008-06-13Staff Report 2
