Namibian Police Force (NamPol) Deputy Inspector-General for Operations, Joseph Shikongo has strongly warned Namibians to refrain from taking matters of the law into their own hands, saying Namibia is not a lawless country.

This, after leaders of the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) on 05 April, reportedly entered the Cheetah Cement factory outside Otjiwarongo without any authorization and demanded the removal of Chinese nationals whom they claimed had been employed there illegally, without valid work permits.

A trespassing case has since been opened with NamPol at Otjiwarongo against the NEFF members and the eight Chinese nationals have been deported back to their country by police and immigration officials.

Shikongo, while addressing a media briefing here Friday advised that members of the public consult law enforcement agencies, the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation or labour unions in matters that involve employees saying that the current approach of ordinary citizens shutting down businesses is encroaching on a responsibility that is not theirs.

“We are warning people that are shutting down people’s business without following the right procedures and structures to stop doing so. We are not going to allow anarchy or chaos in Namibia, as the maintenance of law and order is the obligation of NamPol and we cannot allow people to infringe on others with impunity,” he stressed.

NamPol, he said will continue to enforce its mandate of preservation of internal security, maintenance of law and order, crime combating and the protection of life and property, while equally noting that those being violated, exploited and trespassed should approach NamPol and deceit from taking matters into their own hands.

“Our mandate is very clear, so anybody who encroaches on the role of NamPol by maintaining law and order is misinformed and we will not allow such exploitation,’ he concluded.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency