Keetmanshoop: Residents of Keetmanshoop gathered in the town's central park on Sunday for a prayer meeting aimed at addressing the rise in violent crimes in the southern town.
According to Namibia Press Agency, crimes such as murder, attempted murder, and robbery saw a significant increase during the 2024/25 festive season, with many incidents reported in Keetmanshoop.
Keetmanshoop Mayor, Annelize Knaus urged the residents to find solutions to the increase in crime at the southern town instead of standing by and using social media to air their concerns. 'The time has come for us to rise. Let us stand together as a united community and stand up against the darkness that is trying to overshadow our peace. Yes it is easy to post and share your concerns on social media, but let us be part of the solution, let us show up for one another just as we are here, let us walk the talk to the change we want,' she stressed.
The mayor thanked the residents for turning up in big numbers and being part of the event. 'Your presence here this evening is a testament to the collective spirit of our community and I believe that together, we can make a difference. We are here to pray for peace, for the safety of our families and the future of all our children,' said Knaus.
Chairperson of the National Youth Council for the Keetmanshoop Urban Constituency, Ronald Freyer, urged political leaders, teachers, and traditional and religious leaders to identify young people within the community who need special guidance and programmes that will help them in skills development. 'Identify youth that need uplifting in the community. We have different programmes that will run for the next five years, and these programmes have the potential to create jobs among young people. This will help to eradicate the problem we are sitting with today, of high violent crimes among young people,' said Freyer.
The prayer meeting was attended by various pastors who led the prayers, ||Kharas Governor Aletha Frederick, local authority councillors and residents.