WINDHOEK – Members of the communities in Havana, Greenwell, Goreagab Dam and Ombili locations in Katutura have embraced the Kalahari Desert Operation, urging the security authorities to increase their presence and manpower.

On Wednesday the Inspector-General of the Namibian Police Force, Sebastian Ndeitunga, the Deputy Minister of Safety and Security, Daniel Kashikola, and Brigadier General Erastus Kashopola took to the streets to hear the views of the community on the ground regarding the operation that has drawn mixed reactions.

People who spoke to the officials praised the operation, saying the security forces are doing a wonderful job but that they however need to increase their presence to reach all corners of the informal settlements.
“Comrade Ndeitunga and your team, I salute you my brother, you are doing a wonderful job. We have been losing our properties at the hands of criminals. And now we are walking freely. 

All I can say is that at least we are safe now at the tar road. Please deploy more members in the dark areas so that we will be free,” said Michael Wilbard, a resident of Havana informal settlement.
Wilbard told the officials the criminals are now hiding in the dark areas, therefore the security forces must do their level best to flush them out so that the country will move towards being crime-free.

Rauha Shigwedha, from Greenwell informal settlement in Samora Machel Constituency, explained that before the two security operations were launched, the other being Operation Hornkranz, they were being stripped of their clothes and mobile phones by criminals.

“You cannot walk around after 21h00 hours in the street and escape without being robbed. Not in this street. They will grab your phone and beat you up if you did not give them what they want. Our security officers, brothers and sisters’ lives were at risk. When they woke up in the morning as early as 04h00 they were always being beaten up by those thugs because they have to walk a distance to their pick-up points,” she said.

She said that the security forces must not allow the shooting incident of two weeks ago to demoralise them. “They are doing a great job and we will support them where and whenever we possibly can.” 
Other residents from Oshitenda in Ombili location elucidated that walking from Ombili to Greenwell or Havana is a short distance but due to the high crime rate in the area one has to sacrifice one’s last few cents to take a taxi.

“All I want to tell the Ministry of Safety and Security is that they must keep it up. They must not stop doing what they are doing now because we are now safe with their presence in the street,” said Colonelia Ndinovanhu.

Speaking during the walkabout Deputy Minister Kashikola explained that he decided to take to the streets to understand and experience the perceptions as well as the views of people in the community.

“I am very much impressed that 99 percent of people we have seen are embracing the work of our men and women in the forces that are in the operation. I am happy that our people are encouraging the police to continue. I wanted to hear more from them, what they want and how they feel about it. You heard yourself from the horse’s mouth that the operation must continue and people are happy about it. In fact, they are requesting that more members be deployed,” said Kashikola.

Regional councillors and some City of Windhoek councillors also joined the walkabout of the operation that has identified the most crime-hit areas.

Ndeitunga said that during the current Operation Kalahari Desert, just for the month of May a total of 871 suspects were arrested for both serious and not so serious offences, ranging from murder to attempted murder, rape, assaults with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, dealing in drugs, possession of protected wild animal products and house-breaking and theft.

More than 965 dangerous weapons such as knives, screwdrivers, machetes and spears, two shotguns and 32 pistols were confiscated.
He said illicit drugs including mainly cannabis, mandrax and cocaine worth N$282 000 were also seized.