Africa-Press – Namibia. Namibian Police Chief, Lieutenant-General Joseph Shikongo has said there is no reason to panic following revelations that dozens of Namibian police rifles are feared to have slipped into the hands of criminal gangs in South Africa.
The reports sparked a regional security scare and raised questions about corruption and control in the country’s law enforcement agency.
The issue came to light after the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime published findings alleging that Namibian weapons were making their way into the hands of South African gangs.
The report raised fears that Namibia could be emerging as a transit hub for organised crime in southern Africa.
In an address on NBC TV on Wednesday, Shikongo reassured the nation that there were no causes for concern.
“In November 2021, there was a report of missing firearms. Initially, 96 were reported missing, but after verification at the Central Depot, the figure came down to 83. A criminal case was opened, and eight suspects were arrested — six of them police officers and two civilians who worked at the facility,” Shikongo confirmed. Shikongo acknowledged the concern but stressed that Namibia remains a peaceful country where law enforcement is working hard to maintain order.
“Yes, the smuggling of weapons is a concern because it translates to transnational organised crime. But Namibia is relatively peaceful, and our police are doing everything possible to protect lives and property,” he said.
The Inspector General also revealed that Namibian police are working closely with their South African counterparts to trace the smuggling networks.
“Our collaboration with the South African Police Service is strong. We speak very frequently at the level of Inspector Generals, and our border commanders and crime investigators are in regular contact,” Shikongo explained.
He cited a recent case in which a suspect involved in a N$200 million fraud fled to South Africa but was tracked down through cross-border cooperation. Namibian investigators have even been dispatched to South Africa to pursue leads linked to the smuggled weapons.
Military
Meanwhile, Brigadier General Philemon Shafashike, Chief of Staff for Policy and Planning in the Namibian Defence Force (NDF), dismissed suggestions that the army’s weapons had fallen into the wrong hands.
“As the Namibian Defence Force, we have not had a case where we have lost rifles. We have strict measures for controlling our rifles, and we have never received such a report,” Shafashike stated.
He stressed that every weapon in the NDF is signed out against a soldier’s name, under strict supervision and with a detailed register. “There is no way an individual soldier can just draw a weapon without oversight,” he said.
Shafashike underlined that while the defence forces work closely with the police, the missing rifles in question remain a police matter.
Safeguards
Both officials sought to reassure the public that safeguards are now tighter. Shikongo said police depots have improved record systems and reinforced procedures for checking weapons in and out.
However, he confirmed that investigations are still ongoing, including into tracking companies allegedly linked to the smuggling network. “Because of the nature of the report, I cannot reveal names, but we are investigating trucking companies said to be working with syndicates in South Africa,” he noted.
The police chief said: “In terms of our investigation, we even recently sent a team to South Africa, to the South African National Service or Police Service, to conduct further investigation in this very matter. And again, we have also submitted what we call a mutual legal assistance on criminal matters, through the ministry of justice to South Africa”.
Shikongo added: “We are appealing to anyone with more information to collaborate with law enforcement so that those involved can be brought to book.”
According to the SA news, the Western Cape in South Africa is notorious for violent gang activity, with weapons smuggling fueling turf wars and crime.
The news agency indicated in a report on 28 August that acting Police Minister, Professor Firoz Cachalia, says transnational organised crime remains one of the most serious threats to peace, stability and development across Africa and beyond.
“Its manifestations are diverse scenarios: drug trafficking, human trafficking, illicit firearms, cybercrime, wildlife crime, money laundering, and terrorism, to name but a few of the most threatening crimes,” Cachalia said on Wednesday.
Speaking at the 27th African Regional Interpol Conference underway in Cape Town, Cachalia said these crimes transcend borders, exploit technological advances and undermine the security of people and the integrity of respective states and economies.
The revelations place pressure on Namibian authorities to prove they are not allowing corruption and weak systems to undermine national and regional security.
For now, both the police and the army are working to show the public and international partners that Namibia is not a haven for organised crime.
Shikongo concluded: “We take this matter very seriously. We will leave no stone unturned to ensure the truth comes out and justice is done.”
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