The Namibian Police have recorded 719 cases of housebreaking, 1 367 incidents of theft and 282 reports of domestic violence in the Kavango East region between January 2024 and July 2025.
These figures were revealed by Namibian Police inspector general Joseph Shikongo during a public engagement at Rundu on Friday.
Shikongo further recounted that 378 cases of fraud and 276 robberies were reported in the region during the same period.
Two cases of human trafficking were also recorded, bringing the total number of reported cases in the region since the start of 2024 to 3 024.
According to Shikongo, this number could be significantly reduced if the public refrained from buying stolen goods and sheltering criminals.
He emphasised that some community members knowingly benefit from criminal activities by protecting offenders.
The inspector general also addressed public complaints about police inaction, particularly the excuse that police vehicles are unavailable to respond to reports.
Shikongo noted that he had addressed this issue with officers the previous day, stating that such a response is unacceptable.
Shikongo pointed out that he himself had previously conducted foot patrols in the region, and urged officers to do the same when transportation is unavailable. He emphasised that crime reports should still be collected from the community.
“There are areas where we as law enforcement need to improve,” he said.
He encouraged community involvement in crime prevention, suggesting that residents form neighbourhood watch groups – composed of both women and men – to help deter crime and avoid protecting offenders.
In a separate announcement, Shikongo said 30 officers of various ranks were promoted on Thursday.
He stressed that promotions within the Namibian Police are based on merit and competence, and not on ethnicity or race.
“We should respect Namibia as a sovereign state. Unity must take precedence above all else,” he concluded.
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