WINDHOEK – Information and Communication Technology Deputy Minister Stanley Simataa says Namibia has become a nation that is “galvanised into action in the aftermath of brutal killings but slumps into a comma of inaction weeks thereafter only to re-emerge following another spate of violent crimes”.
Contributing to the motion on gender-based violence in the National Assembly on Tuesday, Simataa said such modus operandi is costly for “we run the risk of leading and legislating for a nation where violent crimes become the order of the day and where our indecisiveness will catch up with us one day.”
He submitted that there has been suffcient discussions in parliament about such violence and it is now time to act. “I believe that we have generated a sufficient body of knowledge through various research undertaken on this and other related matters. There is therefore no need for us to delve into another frenzy of debates. The time has come for us to dust off the Hansard, indeed the time has come for us to take stock of the wealth of information generated by various studies on this issue and for once take decisive action by introducing a bouquet of measures aimed at arresting the current situation,” he contributed.
He suggested that a team drawn from government, civil society, religious institutions, academic institutions and traditional leaders be established and be tasked to decipher through the research done so far. The team, Simataa said, should develop a comprehensive document that will then translate into a national conference.
To date, close to 40 women have lost their lives at the hands of their lovers since January 2013, in what could be categorised as crimes of passion that outraged the entire nation.
Such outrages also led President Hifikepunye Pohamba and Cabinet to call on all Namibians to join in a national day of prayer against gender-based violence last week Thursday.