RUNDU - Kavango East regional police commander, Commissioner Johanna Ngondo has expressed concern about high levels of crime committed by young people of school-going age. According to Ngondo, 352 crime cases in the region have been committed by young people, aged 14 to 21 from 2018 to date.
“A total of 352 cases have been reported against the youth of ages 14 to 21 from 2018 to date. In the financial year 2018/2019 there were 212 whereby 183 of the cases were committed by males and only 24 females and in 2019/2020, 140 cases were recorded of youth aged 14 to 20, amongst them 135 males and only 10 females,” she noted.
Ngondo was addressing learners at an event organised by the Namibia National Students Organisation at Rundu last week. The commissioner noted the reasons for the crime statistics was simply to indicate how serious it is and how youth in Kavango East are being involved in crime activities.
“As the police, we are so concerned with the escalating rate of youth that are indulging themselves in criminal activities. This is not only disturbing but is worrisome on what the future hold for them,” she said. According to Ngondo, the Namibian police, especially in Kavango East has been experiencing crimes such as assault, theft of cell phones, rape, driving motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or abusing drugs as well as young people operating vehicles without valid driver’s licences.
“In most cases, our youth are involved in the above mentioned cases. These crimes lead to our region not to be safe and communities live in constant fear in their own homes, so Nampol had taken a stand on crimes that are destroying families and communities together with our stakeholders to fight up to our last resources,” she added. Ngondo also said that the abuse of drugs and alcohol has resulted in many young people deserting their education. “I humbly request you all as the youth of this region to come up with ways and means on how we move forward in joining hands to combat crime in our homes, schools and the community at large,” she said.
Ngondo encouraged the learners and young people to work hard, saying a nation without educated and hardworking young people is surely doomed to fail because the future belongs to them. “Working together will enable us to transform our region and Namibia at large from high rate crimes to be a peaceful region as you will be the future leaders. Take your education serious in order to excel in your future endeavours.”