Africa-Press – Namibia. RESIDENTS of Zambezi region are puzzled why Namibians using public transport to travel out of the region are required to produce identity documents at Kongola checkpoint, as if they are foreigners.
The Kongola checkpoint, about 111 kilometres west of Katima Mulilo, is manned by police officers 24/7.
Additionally, if travelling with minors one needs to produce their birth certificates. The police also do random searches and confiscate items such as meat, mangoes and sour milk or any illegal items.
Sinvula Mudabeti, during an interview with The Namibian yesterday, noted that the Kongola checkpoint has become an illegal internal post between Zambezi region and the rest of Namibia.
He queried why this type of police intimidation and harassment are only meted out against people of Zambezi region.
“Why should the people of Zambezi be treated as refugees in their own country? The people of Zambezi region have endured systematic discrimination by different sectors of the economy because our lives don’t matter. The police must explain why they confiscate goods that are allowed to pass by law. It’s time the government stops perpetuating inequality and inducing poverty on the people of Zambezi by implementing illegal pass laws,” he said.
According to Mudabeti, Kongola is not a veterinary checkpoint, yet the police are now using it as an illegal red line.
“It is the only region where an ordinary police checkpoint works as a veterinary line…,” he stressed.
Richard Kambinda also asked why, if the checking is done for security purposes, it is not happening elsewhere in the country, as Namibia is bordered by many countries – South Africa, Botswana, Angola and Zambia.
“Each of these countries has the potential to traffic prohibited stuff. We appeal that all checkpoints must do the same,” he said.
Zambezi regional governor Lawrence Sampofu told The Namibian yesterday that the operations at the Kongola checkpoint are in the interest of the country’s security and those complaining about it are not security conscious.
“First, Kongola is not a border but a checkpoint. There are so many illegal crossings at our border with Zambia involving immigrants, some from as far as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and West Africa. Zambezi region is the gateway to the Southern African Development Community countries, so when illegal immigrants are found south of the cordon fence, Zambezi region is blamed for letting them in, as well as people found with illicit drugs and other prohibited substances. Those complaining will be the first to make noise that the police are doing nothing to protect this nation,” he said.
Sampofu refuted claims that this operation only happens at Kongola checkpoint, saying the same happens at Morurani and Oshivelo, among others, and no one makes noise about it.
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