Chief of the Namibian Police, Lieutenant-General Sebastian Ndeitunga encouraged community policing in the informal settlements, urging these communities to form neighbourhood watch teams to curb crime in their areas.

Ndeitunga also encouraged the residents to have direct contact details of station and regional commanders.

He said this while speaking to residents of the Havana informal settlement who were relieved to see the team of law enforcement troops inspecting an area known to be a hotspot for criminals in Havana next to the municipality dumping site, during a crime prevention operation around the city over the weekend.

The inhabitants said they live in fear for their lives every night especially when nature calls, because the area has no streetlights and also because it is a wide open area surrounded by heaps of sand making it easy for criminals to hide and attack people, also when they return home from work at night.

Explaining their situation to the NamPol chief on behalf of the residents, 30-year-old Lavinia Haiduwa who said she was a victim of these crimes, said she has lived in the area for four years, over which attacks, break-ins and rapes have been happening.

“These criminals come with machetes, guns and knives, sometimes they cut chains used to lock shacks and go into people’s homes, they would rape women and at times also men,” she conveyed.

Haiduwa’s sister, Theresia Haiduwa, showed the police and the media scars she said she got when she was stabbed multiple times during an attack.

“Although living here has become a nightmare, it is the only place we have,” she said.

The two sisters and the other residents further told Ndeitunga, during most of these attacks the police were contacted but they either don’t show up or show up after a long time when the criminals have fled.

Speaking to Nampa, the residents pleaded with the City of Windhoek (CoW) to put up streetlights in the area to minimise these attacks and criminal activities.

Approached on Monday, CoW spokesperson Lydia Amutenya told Nampa that providing basic services including electricity to residents is a priority for CoW.

“The provision of service delivery in our informal settlements is done in line with the Development and Upgrading Policy, which addresses fast-tracking development and guiding ultra-low-income land development.”

Source: Namibia Press Agency