Africa-Press – Namibia. PRESIDENT Nangolo Mbumba has raised concerns about the recent surge in serious crimes within the country and urged the Namibian Police to take swift action to suppress and prevent crime and lawlessness.
“Of late, we are witnessing a rise in serious crimes such as murder, armed robberies, burglaries, assaults, drug abuse, rape, and violence against women and children. As new graduates, you must swiftly suppress and prevent crime and lawlessness from gaining a foothold in our society. You should ensure that criminal elements do not destroy what our heroes and heroines fought and died for,” the president said.
These remarks were made during his address at the Graduation ceremony of the Police Basic Training Course of 2023/24, themed “Bravery is not the absence of fear but action in the face of fear,” held at the Oshakati Independence Stadium, Oshana Region. The ceremony celebrated the graduation of 1060 cadets, consisting of 679 males and 381 females.
President Mbumba emphasized that the Graduation ceremony of the Police Basic Training Course came at an opportune time as the government intends to increase the number of police officers, particularly in light of the recent rise in crimes. According to him, the influx of new graduates will facilitate the opening of several new police stations and posts nationwide.
“The recruitment of these graduates into the Namibian Police Force will strengthen our police operations nationwide as some will be posted to guard our borders to bolster security and ensure that criminal elements are prevented from entering our country and disturbing the peace and stability we continue to enjoy and cherish,” he added.
The president further revealed that the government has availed resources for the Namibian Police Force to have another recruitment in the 2024/2025 financial year, as directed by the late President Hage Geingob during his State of the Nation Address in 2023. He also pointed out that, despite the recent rise in crime, Namibia is still one of the African countries that is respected for its peace, stability, and security. He attributed this to the stellar work of the country’s security cluster.
“Today, as citizens who enjoy the fruits of freedom, justice, and equality, we depend on new heroes and heroines in the form of our uniformed men and women to ensure that the foundations put in place by the founders of our constitution, namely peace, unity, stability, reconciliation, and the Rule of Law, remain intact,” President Mbumba said. He urged the new graduates to remain vigilant in safeguarding the nation’s peace, particularly as the country approaches elections.
“In the Year of Expectations and Elections, you are called upon to remain vigilant at all times so that once more, Namibians can go to the polls and partake in free, fair, and democratic elections as we are used to since our independence,” President Mbumba said.
For More News And Analysis About Namibia Follow Africa-Press
