People have the right to defend themselves – Shikwambi

NAMIBIAN Police spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi has said people have the right to defend themselves, but they should know the difference between self-defence and taking the law into their own hands.

Shikwambi was responding to an incident in which a Windhoek resident shot and killed a man who allegedly tried to rob him last week in the Greenwell Matongo area of Windhoek.

"According to criminal law, self/private defence is a ground for justification. When a person acts in self-defence that action may be regarded as lawful. However, there is a difference between self-defence and taking law into your own hands," said Shikwambi.

She said those accusing the police of not doing anything amid a spate of robbery incidents gripping the country should know that the police are making efforts.

"Efforts are there. Men and women in uniform do not sleep; they are always out patrolling at night. Crime is disturbing for all of us, but it cannot be left to the police alone, and the police are doing their best. Perhaps it is not enough due to various factors, including limited resources. We must join hands to suppress crime, starting with ourselves," she added.

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