Police chief worried about weapons, political violence

THE Inspector General of Police, Lieutenant General Sebastian Ndeitunga, has called on all political party leaders to tell their members to refrain from violence and practice their political activities democratically.

Ndeitunga, who visited the North over the weekend, said the Police had found it very difficult to control some local political leaders and party supporters, especially during political rallies at the new town of Omuthiya. In one incident, the Police were forced to use firearms, resulting in the death of one man.”We don’t like this, but sometimes the Police are forced into such actions.So, I am appealing to political leaders and their supporters to adhere to the Namibian Constitution, which says everyone has the right to belong to a political party of his or her choice, and that other people have to respect those rights,” Ndeitunga said.He thanked Police officers in the Oshana Region for working hard to control explosive situations amid accusations of favouring certain political parties.”This is not the case,” he said.”The Police are not biased in their work and are treating all political parties equally without any discrimination.”He said the problem lay with political leaders who are instigating violence in violation of the Constitution and Police orders.”Our country needs civic discipline, and we as leaders have to educate our people to be disciplined,” Ndeitunga said.He called upon people not to carry firearms in public places, especially at political meetings.”The Police have orders to confiscate all illegal firearms, but even registered ones found at political meetings or rallies will be confiscated,” he warned.He said that there were too many firearms in private hands in Namibia, even automatic rifles.”Why does everybody have a firearm? This is why we have so much violence in the country.Those who are drinking at bars are in possession of firearms, and if they quarrel with somebody they just take out the weapons and shoot at each other.”Meanwhile, the Oshana Police commander, Deputy Commissioner Ndahangwapo Kashihakumwa, told The Namibian yesterday that about 10 civilians from Ondangwa District had been found with automatic assault rifles, which are illegal in Namibia.He said they appeared before the Ondangwa Magistrate’s Court last week and were released on bail of N$1 000 each.The National Society for Human Rights has congratulated the Namibian Police for seizing what it called a large number of automatic weapons from civilians in and around the Ondangwa area.According to the NSHR’s human rights monitors, the weapons in question were AK-47 assault rifles.”We applaud the seizure of such weapons, especially at this point in time, as some of those politicians from whom the weapons have been seized have been implicated in the ongoing acts of provocation directed against human rights defenders and supporters and members of the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) in recent weeks,” the NSHR said.In one incident, the Police were forced to use firearms, resulting in the death of one man.”We don’t like this, but sometimes the Police are forced into such actions.So, I am appealing to political leaders and their supporters to adhere to the Namibian Constitution, which says everyone has the right to belong to a political party of his or her choice, and that other people have to respect those rights,” Ndeitunga said.He thanked Police officers in the Oshana Region for working hard to control explosive situations amid accusations of favouring certain political parties.”This is not the case,” he said.”The Police are not biased in their work and are treating all political parties equally without any discrimination.”He said the problem lay with political leaders who are instigating violence in violation of the Constitution and Police orders.”Our country needs civic discipline, and we as leaders have to educate our people to be disciplined,” Ndeitunga said.He called upon people not to carry firearms in public places, especially at political meetings.”The Police have orders to confiscate all illegal firearms, but even registered ones found at political meetings or rallies will be confiscated,” he warned.He said that there were too many firearms in private hands in Namibia, even automatic rifles.”Why does everybody have a firearm? This is why we have so much violence in the country.Those who are drinking at bars are in possession of firearms, and if they quarrel with somebody they just take out the weapons and shoot at each other.”Meanwhile, the Oshana Police commander, Deputy Commissioner Ndahangwapo Kashihakumwa, told The Namibian yesterday that about 10 civilians from Ondangwa District had been found with automatic assault rifles, which are illegal in Namibia.He said they appeared before the Ondangwa Magistrate’s Court last week and were released on bail of N$1 000 each.The National Society for Human Rights has congratulated the Namibian Police for seizing what it called a large number of automatic weapons from civilians in and around the Ondangwa area.According to the NSHR’s human rights monitors, the weapons in question were AK-47 assault rifles.”We applaud the seizure of such weapons, especially at this point in time, as some of those politicians from whom the weapons have been seized have been implicated in the ongoing acts of provocation directed against human rights defenders and supporters and members of the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) in recent weeks,” the NSHR said.