City Police could start next month

WINDHOEK Mayor Matthew Shikongo says the City is ready to implement the long-awaited Municipal Police, as soon as the necessary law has been enacted.

The National Council passed the Local Authorities Amendment Bill this week – the last legal hurdle to the establishment of the force. At the monthly council meeting on Wednesday evening, the Mayor once again apologised to residents for the protracted battle in establishing the force, which has been in the offing for the last two years.”The City has taken serious note of the public’s legitimate concern over the snail’s pace progress being made on the …Municipal Police project,” he said.”The City has all the necessary machinery in place idling to get into motion, as soon as legislative procedures have been finalised.”The bill will now be handed to President Sam Nujoma to become law.The municipality will then legally be allowed to appoint staff.The city council discussed appointing the division heads of the municipal police in May already, and has received many applications for vacant posts.But the establishment of the municipal police has been plagued with delays since the idea was conceived.Last year the council budgeted around N$35 million to get the force off the ground and residents began paying for a security service.This year, N$79 million was set aside through the 2004/05 budget to kickstart the project.A year and half ago, the municipality signed a co-operation agreement with the Namibian Police but it later emerged that while the Police Act made provision for the establishment of municipal police forces, the Local Authorities Act, which governs municipalities, did not.The new law will now make provision for not only Windhoek, but also Swakopmund and Walvis Bay setting up such a force.At the monthly council meeting on Wednesday evening, the Mayor once again apologised to residents for the protracted battle in establishing the force, which has been in the offing for the last two years.”The City has taken serious note of the public’s legitimate concern over the snail’s pace progress being made on the …Municipal Police project,” he said.”The City has all the necessary machinery in place idling to get into motion, as soon as legislative procedures have been finalised.”The bill will now be handed to President Sam Nujoma to become law.The municipality will then legally be allowed to appoint staff.The city council discussed appointing the division heads of the municipal police in May already, and has received many applications for vacant posts. But the establishment of the municipal police has been plagued with delays since the idea was conceived.Last year the council budgeted around N$35 million to get the force off the ground and residents began paying for a security service.This year, N$79 million was set aside through the 2004/05 budget to kickstart the project.A year and half ago, the municipality signed a co-operation agreement with the Namibian Police but it later emerged that while the Police Act made provision for the establishment of municipal police forces, the Local Authorities Act, which governs municipalities, did not.The new law will now make provision for not only Windhoek, but also Swakopmund and Walvis Bay setting up such a force.