‘Crime not caused by poverty’

POVERTY should not be offered as an excuse for crime in Namibia, Home Affairs Minister Jerry Ekandjo told the National Assembly yesterday afternoon.

Ekandjo was answering questions on co-operation between the Namibian Police and private security companies that Congress of Democrats MP Ignatius Shixwameni had posed to him last month. “Our experience tells us that crime can be eradicated from society through a holistically, complementary and collective approach by all relevant stakeholders in the country,” Ekandjo said.”The fight against economic and social upheavals in the society is a prerequisite to the reduction of criminal activities.In no certain terms should it be interpreted that crimes are committed due to poverty.It is rather a ‘cancer’ exacerbated by sick-minded individuals who abuse freedom and are infatuated with greed, selfishness, indiscipline, laziness, and the diabolics alike.”(sic) Ekandjo said a degree of co-operation existed between the Namibian Police and private security companies, but that this required strengthening.To achieve that objective, the Ministry of Home Affairs was working on amending regulations to the Security Enterprise and Security Officers Act, Ekandjo said.”Our experience tells us that crime can be eradicated from society through a holistically, complementary and collective approach by all relevant stakeholders in the country,” Ekandjo said.”The fight against economic and social upheavals in the society is a prerequisite to the reduction of criminal activities.In no certain terms should it be interpreted that crimes are committed due to poverty.It is rather a ‘cancer’ exacerbated by sick-minded individuals who abuse freedom and are infatuated with greed, selfishness, indiscipline, laziness, and the diabolics alike.”(sic) Ekandjo said a degree of co-operation existed between the Namibian Police and private security companies, but that this required strengthening.To achieve that objective, the Ministry of Home Affairs was working on amending regulations to the Security Enterprise and Security Officers Act, Ekandjo said.