Editorial: Horrifying Rapes On The Increase

THE abuse of women and children continues to escalate in Namibia, and ways must be found to stem this tide of violence. Condemnatory statements are made from time to time by various leaders and civil society groups, but still we fail to make a difference in the lives of our most vulnerable.

The cases of rape reported by the Police this week alone were in the double figures by the time of going to press, the majority of them involving minors. Rape and violence against women and children in our society is no longer merely a problem – it is a national disaster.The news of a barrage of rapes this week comes while a two-day national conference on woman and child protection, under the theme of ‘Speak out against abuse’, is taking place in the capital.Reported cases in Namibia in 2003 alone, according to a Unicef spokeswoman, show that there are close to three rapes a day in a country with a population of less than two million.Bearing in mind that these are only the incidents that are reported to the Police, we can hazard a guess that the actual figures are much higher.It is nothing short of scandalous.We have reached a point where talking simply isn’t enough.And neither are condemnatory statements and protests, although they do serve the purpose of highlighting this scourge in our society.We must acknowledge failure in trying to curb this evil, and we must all look at new ways and means of outlawing both the crimes and their perpetrators in our country.We cannot speak of peace while such a tide of violence is allowed to continue.Labour In The Spotlight NAMIBIA needs to deal with what is tantamount to schizophrenia as far as labour is concerned in this country.On the one hand, we have some of the most progressive laws on labour in the world today.Laws which some argue may even be at the expense of certain businesses which will have to close their doors because they cannot afford the expenses that employment now entails, especially early next year when the new Labour Law comes into force.On the other, we have blatantly exploitative practices against workers continuing, especially in companies with so-called EPZ (Export Processing Zone) status, and which are largely exempt from our current labour legislation.It appears that we need to find a happy medium on this score – one that will ensure the non-exploitation of workers, while at the same time not inhibiting new or emergent business in a country that needs to generate employment.That balance has not yet been struck.The country’s private-sector employers, Government, and of course the unions, need to look at ways of establishing an equilibrium.The imbalance currently in effect is not to our benefit.The scandal of lowly paid workers without benefits, such as those at the Ramatex textile plant in Windhoek, does not augur well for either workforce or economic stability.Neither, on the other hand, does a workforce with remuneration and benefits that far outweigh its productivity contribute to a stable and profitable business environment.Labour has to be looked at in holistic terms in Namibia.While we should not condone exploitation of any kind against workers, we must nevertheless maintain balance to avert labour becoming so unaffordable that business cannot create more jobs.Rape and violence against women and children in our society is no longer merely a problem – it is a national disaster.The news of a barrage of rapes this week comes while a two-day national conference on woman and child protection, under the theme of ‘Speak out against abuse’, is taking place in the capital.Reported cases in Namibia in 2003 alone, according to a Unicef spokeswoman, show that there are close to three rapes a day in a country with a population of less than two million.Bearing in mind that these are only the incidents that are reported to the Police, we can hazard a guess that the actual figures are much higher.It is nothing short of scandalous.We have reached a point where talking simply isn’t enough.And neither are condemnatory statements and protests, although they do serve the purpose of highlighting this scourge in our society.We must acknowledge failure in trying to curb this evil, and we must all look at new ways and means of outlawing both the crimes and their perpetrators in our country.We cannot speak of peace while such a tide of violence is allowed to continue. Labour In The Spotlight NAMIBIA needs to deal with what is tantamount to schizophrenia as far as labour is concerned in this country.On the one hand, we have some of the most progressive laws on labour in the world today.Laws which some argue may even be at the expense of certain businesses which will have to close their doors because they cannot afford the expenses that employment now entails, especially early next year when the new Labour Law comes into force.On the other, we have blatantly exploitative practices against workers continuing, especially in companies with so-called EPZ (Export Processing Zone) status, and which are largely exempt from our current labour legislation.It appears that we need to find a happy medium on this score – one that will ensure the non-exploitation of workers, while at the same time not inhibiting new or emergent business in a country that needs to generate employment.That balance has not yet been struck.The country’s private-sector employers, Government, and of course the unions, need to look at ways of establishing an equilibrium.The imbalance currently in effect is not to our benefit.The scandal of lowly paid workers without benefits, such as those at the Ramatex textile plant in Windhoek, does not augur well for either workforce or economic stability.Neither, on the other hand, does a workforce with remuneration and benefits that far outweigh its productivity contribute to a stable and profitable business environment.Labour has to be looked at in holistic terms in Namibia.While we should not condone exploitation of any kind against workers, we must nevertheless maintain balance to avert labour becoming so unaffordable that business cannot create more jobs.