Kawana pained by low cop salaries

“I think now is the time to address this anomaly as soon as possible so our men and women in uniform can work within the framework of a conducive working environment,” Kawana said on Saturday during an event at which 5 532 firearms and close to 210 000 rounds of ammunition were destroyed at the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) shooting range near Walvis Bay.

Police chief inspector general Sebastian Ndeitunga yesterday said a proposal for salary adjustments for low-ranking officers from constable to chief inspector has been submitted to the government.

This is despite the current stance of the government that salary increments for civil servants are not possible due to a lack of finances.

“There is no budget. If there was a budget we could address that. That is what we are asking the government to look into, addressing the salaries of the force in the future.

“There was a plan to close the gaps between salaries, because the gaps are too wide. We were asking to see whether the government can look into that whenever finances allow,” Ndeitunga said.

He said most affected officers are in Windhoek and at Walvis Bay.

They spend most of their income on rent due to a lack of accommodation for police officers, he said.

This has led to some officers resorting to crime and corruption, he said.

“… because they don”;t spend what little they have prudently. Some spend it on unnecessary things, such as alcohol,” he said.

Ndeitunga said to address officers”; housing issues, discussions with local authorities regarding the provision of land are ongoing.

He confirmed that land for a police village has been made available by the City of Windhoek.

“Local authorities have no problem. The land is there, the problem is the money to build. The Municipality of Windhoek gave us a place to put up accommodation for the police.

“The civil engineer phase has commenced, but the construction is the problem, because there is no money,” he said.

A sergeant who yesterday spoke to The Namibian on condition of anonymity said he joined the police in 2012 and only got a promotion in 2020.

He has been living in the police barracks since joining, because he cannot afford accommodation elsewhere, he said.

He said his latest salary adjustment amounted to N$50.

“The rank is there, but you don”;t feel it in your pocket. It”;s just there, and we call it ranks for decoration,” he said.

The sergeant said the low salaries are causing some officers to turn to corruption and sometimes alcohol abuse.

Many of them are drowning in debt, he said.

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