Iyambo tours decrepit cells

STANDING to free up space in their cramped cells, prisoners surged to the bars as Safety and Security Minister Nickey Iyambo, surrounded by a Police guard detail, toured the cell-lined corridors of the Windhoek Central Police Station on Wednesday.

Iyambo visited the city’s major holding cells at the Wanaheda, Katutura and Windhoek Police stations to see for himself the permanent overcrowding.The ministerial visit comes ahead of a high-level conference later this month, involving the Ministries of Safety and Security and Justice, the Prosecutor General’s office and the Ombudsman, to seek solutions to the overcrowding of Police cells.Various reports over the last few years, including by the Ombudsman’s office, have highlighted the issue of overcrowding and the human rights infringements of prisoners associated with it.At the end of his visit, Iyambo expressed the view that too many prisoners are jailed for petty crimes, which exacerbates the overcrowding. To underline his point, Iyambo repeatedly mentioned a woman who has been held at Wanaheda Police station, with her two-month-old baby, for two weeks now for allegedly having stolen milk for the infant.Prisoners used Iyambo’s visit to complain about everything from bail amounts being too high, cases being drawn out because complainants do not pursue them, and endless postponements of trials, only for the case to finally be withdrawn.On the other hand, station commanders told the minister that many people in lock-up are repeat offenders who see the cells as something of home.Also, many families have apparently tired of continually bailing out habitual criminals, they said, while many habitual criminals are also denied bail, contributing to the overcrowding.Some inmates made use of the media presence to ask that relatives be informed that they are behind bars.Some cells visited were filthy, stank, were cockroach infested, while some did not even have roofs, becoming uninhabitable when it rains.Overcrowding has forced the Police to use any and all available space as holding areas. For his part, Minister Iyambo heaped praise on the Namibian Police for performing their duties despite financial and staff constraints, adding that creating housing for Police officers has become a priority for the Ministry.denver@namibian.com.na