Defence meeting concerned about drug trafficking

CRIME and drug trafficking are threatening the security of both Namibia and South Africa, Defence Minister Major General Charles Namoloh has said.

At the sixth session of Namibia and South Africa’s Joint Commission on Defence and Security that ended in Swakopmund on Friday, Namoloh said the dangers posed by the HIV-AIDS pandemic also cannot be over-emphasised and the war against the disease should be intensified in defence and security agencies. Namoloh warned that new challenges are to be expected.”With the hosting of the [2010 Fifa] World Cup in South Africa, terrorists and criminals are also planning to find ways and pre-position themselves in order to implement their evil deeds.We should therefore be prepared to prevent this [from] happening.”The session was attended by the High Commissioners of the two countries, ministers, permanent secretaries and chiefs of defence and police as well as Ronnie Kasrils, South African Minister of Intelligence Services, who is co-chairman of the Joint Commission.The delegates were satisfied with the progress made in implementing decisions of the previous session held in Cape Town last year.Delegates were concerned that security in Somalia and the Darfur region of Sudan continues to deteriorate and called upon the African Union to continue efforts to stabilise the situation.The active participation of Namibian and South African defence forces in peacekeeping missions of the AU and UN were noted.The Commission hailed the peaceful elections held in Zambia and the DRC.”As members of the SADC Troika, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania as well as other SADC countries have [played] a remarkable role by encouraging the Congolese people to participate in the election process,” Namoloh said.The minister thanked the South African government for its support during the polio outbreak in Namibia in June this year.He warned that successful deliberations are a means to an end, and not an achievement in itself.”The result depends on our implementation of what we resolve to achieve.We should not relax our guard and turn this forum into a routine public relations exercise.Our tasks are to seriously address defence and security issues of mutual concern.”South Africa will host next year’s meeting.Namoloh warned that new challenges are to be expected.”With the hosting of the [2010 Fifa] World Cup in South Africa, terrorists and criminals are also planning to find ways and pre-position themselves in order to implement their evil deeds.We should therefore be prepared to prevent this [from] happening.”The session was attended by the High Commissioners of the two countries, ministers, permanent secretaries and chiefs of defence and police as well as Ronnie Kasrils, South African Minister of Intelligence Services, who is co-chairman of the Joint Commission.The delegates were satisfied with the progress made in implementing decisions of the previous session held in Cape Town last year.Delegates were concerned that security in Somalia and the Darfur region of Sudan continues to deteriorate and called upon the African Union to continue efforts to stabilise the situation.The active participation of Namibian and South African defence forces in peacekeeping missions of the AU and UN were noted.The Commission hailed the peaceful elections held in Zambia and the DRC.”As members of the SADC Troika, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania as well as other SADC countries have [played] a remarkable role by encouraging the Congolese people to participate in the election process,” Namoloh said.The minister thanked the South African government for its support during the polio outbreak in Namibia in June this year.He warned that successful deliberations are a means to an end, and not an achievement in itself.”The result depends on our implementation of what we resolve to achieve.We should not relax our guard and turn this forum into a routine public relations exercise.Our tasks are to seriously address defence and security issues of mutual concern.”South Africa will host next year’s meeting.