Windhoek
Vice-President Dr Nickey Iyambo on Tuesday spoke out on recent escalating incidents of violence specifically against women and children across the country and urged all sides to exercise maximum restraint.
Speaking at the opening of the First Namibia Social Protection Conference 2015 in Windhoek yesterday, he said society should do more to better safeguard citizens by preventing, stopping and eradicating citizen-on-citizen violence.
“We cannot claim to have peace, safety and security while women, children and men are dying at the hands of fellow citizens,” he said, adding that in order to claim peace, safety and security – women, children and men should have the same protection.
“We must embrace a new agenda of inclusiveness, to ensure a redistributive system which will give even vulnerable citizens affordable access to shelter, and services such as water and electricity,” he added.
Iyambo says rather than being emotional about the subject, a rational, systematic, comprehensive and evidence-based approach, fuelled by a sense of urgency among all stakeholders, is necessary to root out the ongoing acts of citizen-on-citizen violence.
Last week, Gloria Hiakaere, 33, was reported to have fatally stabbed her boyfriend in Katutura. It is unclear what transpired and led to the incident. She was arrested last week on Thursday and charged with murder.
In a separate case last week, Simon David, 43, stands accused of killing his five-year-old son Atanasuis by bashing his head on the floor in a seemingly drunken rage.
Earlier this year it was reported 10 per cent of people in abusive relationships are men, according to a study conducted by the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC).
This violence takes on different forms, which include verbal abuse, emotional abuse, psychological abuse, denial of conjugal rights, financial exploitation and at times even physical abuse by selfish female partners.
Statistics from the Gender-Based Violence Protection Unit indicate that from January to May this year, 88 men reported they endured abuse at the hands of their female partners.
Senior counsellor at Lifeline/Childline Namibia, Dina Petrus, said there are men who endure all forms of abuse, including physical abuse, in their relationships but they “do not come out for fear of being ridiculed”.