City cops face final hurdle

THE last legal hurdle to getting the long-awaited Windhoek City Police off the ground is set to be ironed out before the end of this year’s last parliamentary session.

The planned deployment of a municipal law enforcement agency, which city residents started paying for over a year ago, has been plagued by delays since it was first mooted a few years ago. Deputy Minister of Regional and Local Government and Housing Gerhard Tötemeyer has given notice in the National Assembly that he will table an amendment to the Local Authorities Act of 1992 on August 31, his last day in the House.Tötemeyer has resigned from Government, citing health reasons.Although the Police Act provides for the establishment of municipal Police services, the Local Authorities Act does not.Tötemeyer told The Namibian on Friday that the amendment was necessary to synchronise the two laws.The amendment to be brought before the Assembly not only provides for a municipal Police force in Windhoek, but also for Walvis Bay and Swakopmund should these municipalities wish to do the same.Once enacted, the amendment would allow the Windhoek City Council to immediately begin appointing staff for the force.Tötemeyer said if the amendment passed through the two Houses of Parliament without any hiccups, it could become law as soon as the end of October.He that said following this process there would be no other legal impediment to hinder the force being established.In June, the City Council apologised to residents for the delay in setting up the service for which they had already begun paying more than a year ago.The Council said at the time that it had complied with all the necessary policy guidelines and budgetary provisions for the establishment of the service and attributed the delay to Government for not yet having made the necessary legal provisions.It budgeted more than N$79 million for the establishment of the service during the 2004-05 financial year.The City has motivated the need for a municipal police force saying that the high influx of people to the capital and the numerous social-economic challenges had contributed to the increase in crime.In May already, the City Council met behind closed doors to discuss the appointment of the head of the Municipal Police as well as the deputies of the traffic services and the crime protection unit.Deputy Minister of Regional and Local Government and Housing Gerhard Tötemeyer has given notice in the National Assembly that he will table an amendment to the Local Authorities Act of 1992 on August 31, his last day in the House.Tötemeyer has resigned from Government, citing health reasons.Although the Police Act provides for the establishment of municipal Police services, the Local Authorities Act does not.Tötemeyer told The Namibian on Friday that the amendment was necessary to synchronise the two laws.The amendment to be brought before the Assembly not only provides for a municipal Police force in Windhoek, but also for Walvis Bay and Swakopmund should these municipalities wish to do the same.Once enacted, the amendment would allow the Windhoek City Council to immediately begin appointing staff for the force.Tötemeyer said if the amendment passed through the two Houses of Parliament without any hiccups, it could become law as soon as the end of October.He that said following this process there would be no other legal impediment to hinder the force being established.In June, the City Council apologised to residents for the delay in setting up the service for which they had already begun paying more than a year ago.The Council said at the time that it had complied with all the necessary policy guidelines and budgetary provisions for the establishment of the service and attributed the delay to Government for not yet having made the necessary legal provisions.It budgeted more than N$79 million for the establishment of the service during the 2004-05 financial year.The City has motivated the need for a municipal police force saying that the high influx of people to the capital and the numerous social-economic challenges had contributed to the increase in crime.In May already, the City Council met behind closed doors to discuss the appointment of the head of the Municipal Police as well as the deputies of the traffic services and the crime protection unit.