We’re soft targets, claim Ministers

GOVERNMENT Ministers launched a scathing attack on the VIP Protection Unit of the Namibian Police in the National Assembly yesterday.

Speaking during debate on the Police budget vote for 2004-05, a number of Ministers charged that they felt insecure, even that their safety was at risk, because of an absence or lack of protection. Although Home Affairs Minister Jerry Ekandjo said on Friday that the Police had done a “commendable” job during the last year considering their limited resources, it was evident that a number of his colleagues did not think the Police were pulling their weight in protecting them.Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Training and Employment Creation Hadino Hishongwa was the first to say that the unit was neglecting his safety by not protecting his house.According to Hishongwa, it had been at least six months since an officer had guarded his property.In the past, he said, officers had, on more than one occasion, left their weapons in the security booth in front of his house, and failed to collect them.He said he had had to return the weapons to Police Headquarters.”There’s a problem with the protection services.I don’t know whether they exist or not any more.Honestly it’s a problem.These Ministers are not protected at all.One day you will hear one of these Ministers [were] messed up by criminals,” he told the House.Hishongwa maintained that as it was election time, the protection of Ministers had to be stepped up.He also pleaded for laws to be relaxed to allow Police guarding important people, such as the President, to “take action” against criminals.”If a Policeman acts, he is the one who goes to court.It is very unfair.We must change this thing.They can’t do anything.This is very bad,” he said.Deputy Minister of Women Affairs and Child Welfare, Marlene Mungunda, also took issue with the absence of VIP Protection Staff at her house.She said this caused insecurity.Mungunda added that she hoped the allocation of N$36 million to the unit would improve the situation.But fiercest attack came from Prisons and Correctional Services Minister Andimba Toivo ya Toivo.He reminded the House of the days when he was a Policeman, saying that today the force took no pride in their appearance.”These people are not Policemen,” he said, pointing at senior Police personnel seated in the public gallery.”They don’t inspect what their people are doing.You must advise the Minister what must be done.Don’t just sit there.”Standing next to his bench, Ya Toivo turned up the heat and, despite repeated requests for him to deliver his comments through the chair, the Minister varied the direction of his comments between Ekandjo seated behind him and Policemen in the gallery.The VIP Protection Unit, he maintained, was definitely not up to scratch.Referring to officers who guarded his property, he said: “They are always sleeping, putting their legs up there.He can’t open the door because he is sleeping.Something must be done.”Ya Toivo claimed that only a day earlier he had had to break up another “conference” in front of his house between officers on duty at a nearby embassy and the home of the Attorney General Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana.It was Health and Social Services Minister Libertina Amathila who was more sympathetic to the plight of the Police, saying she felt sorry for officers who guarded her house without anything to eat.”I am a woman, but I don’t cook every day.I’m very busy.But I feel very guilty.It is impossible for them to stay there the whole day without eating,” she said.However, she did express concern that female officers were guarding her house at night.She said she was unsure whether a woman would be up to fending off criminals in the dead of night.”I don’t trust my sisters that the two of us can do something.I exercise, I run.But I don’t appreciate having women Police at my house at night and they also sleep,” she added.Amathila said she had requested that, being a woman alone in her home, a male guard should protect her property.She, however, pleaded that something be done to ensure that the officers received food during the day.The Minister said she was of the opinion that guards at her house were “fraternising” with builders at a site next door because they were hungry.”The reason I don’t cook, is because I don’t like cooking,” she concluded.Although Home Affairs Minister Jerry Ekandjo said on Friday that the Police had done a “commendable” job during the last year considering their limited resources, it was evident that a number of his colleagues did not think the Police were pulling their weight in protecting them.Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Training and Employment Creation Hadino Hishongwa was the first to say that the unit was neglecting his safety by not protecting his house.According to Hishongwa, it had been at least six months since an officer had guarded his property.In the past, he said, officers had, on more than one occasion, left their weapons in the security booth in front of his house, and failed to collect them.He said he had had to return the weapons to Police Headquarters.”There’s a problem with the protection services.I don’t know whether they exist or not any more.Honestly it’s a problem.These Ministers are not protected at all.One day you will hear one of these Ministers [were] messed up by criminals,” he told the House.Hishongwa maintained that as it was election time, the protection of Ministers had to be stepped up.He also pleaded for laws to be relaxed to allow Police guarding important people, such as the President, to “take action” against criminals.”If a Policeman acts, he is the one who goes to court.It is very unfair.We must change this thing.They can’t do anything.This is very bad,” he said.Deputy Minister of Women Affairs and Child Welfare, Marlene Mungunda, also took issue with the absence of VIP Protection Staff at her house.She said this caused insecurity.Mungunda added that she hoped the allocation of N$36 million to the unit would improve the situation.But fiercest attack came from Prisons and Correctional Services Minister Andimba Toivo ya Toivo.He reminded the House of the days when he was a Policeman, saying that today the force took no pride in their appearance.”These people are not Policemen,” he said, pointing at senior Police personnel seated in the public gallery.”They don’t inspect what their people are doing.You must advise the Minister what must be done.Don’t just sit there.”Standing next to his bench, Ya Toivo turned up the heat and, despite repeated requests for him to deliver his comments through the chair, the Minister varied the direction of his comments between Ekandjo seated behind him and Policemen in the gallery.The VIP Protection Unit, he maintained, was definitely not up to scratch.Referring to officers who guarded his property, he said: “They are always sleeping, putting their legs up there.He can’t open the door because he is sleeping.Something must be done.”Ya Toivo claimed that only a day earlier he had had to break up another “conference” in front of his house between officers on duty at a nearby embassy and the home of the Attorney General Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana.It was Health and Social Services Minister Libertina Amathila who was more sympathetic to the plight of the Police, saying she felt sorry for officers who guarded her house without anything to eat.”I am a woman, but I don’t cook every day.I’m very busy.But I feel very guilty.It is impossible for them to stay there the whole day without eating,” she said.However, she did express concern that female officers were guarding her house at night.She said she was unsure whether a woman would be up to fending off criminals in the dead of night.”I don’t trust my sisters that the two of us can do something.I exercise, I run.But I don’t appreciate having women Police at my house at night and they also sleep,” she added.Amathila said she had requested that, being a woman alone in her home, a male guard should protect her property.She, however, pleaded that something be done to ensure that the officers received food during the day.The Minister said she was of the o
pinion that guards at her house were “fraternising” with builders at a site next door because they were hungry.”The reason I don’t cook, is because I don’t like cooking,” she concluded.