Africa-Press – Namibia. Affirmative Repositioning (AR) leader Job Amupanda proposes that the system of uniformed workers be reformed so that the livelihoods of military, police and correctional service personnel could improve.
He proposed this during a National Assembly session last week.
“What we don’t have is some sort of way to deal with the security cluster. For example, defence is on its own, and has an insurance body while the correctional service does not.
“The Namibian Defence Force has a defence foundation while the police have none,” he said.
Amupanda said it is high time lawmakers pay attention to the security cluster’s livelihoods and improve the system.
He says even the “so-called union/representatives” of the security cluster are nowhere to be seen in the fight for the betterment of the cluster.
The leader of the official opposition, Imms Nashinge, said it is a shame to see police officers living like beggars due to “loan shark enslavement”.
“Some of these people are our brothers, uncles and parents for that matter. We need to do better and do right by these people to try and give them a decent livelihood,” he said.
AR parliamentarian Ester Haikola-Sakaria proposed that security clusters be given a winter allowance during the cold months.
Furthermore, AR member Vaino Hangula expressed concern over the harsh conditions police officers are living in, particularly junior police officers who often live in shacks in the Havana informal settlement.
Hangula said the situation has forced many into the hands of loan sharks in the search of better accommodation.
He said a reformed system needs to be adopted to ensure this “embarrassing” trend is addressed, while calling for better salaries for uniformed personnel.
Swapo parliamentarian Marius Sheya cautioned that this was a sensitive matter which should be handled with care.
He proposed that the matter be referred to the relevant standing committees for a thorough investigation.
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