‘What if there was a riot?’

RIOT insurance company, Nasria (National Special Risks Insurance Association), yesterday staged a rally along Independence Avenue in Windhoek, with the message ‘What if a rally becomes a riot – are you insured?’

Taking advantage of the upcoming elections and the hype around them to get the word out about Nasria’s insurance offerings, about 200 people took to the streets of Windhoek, carrying posters and banners stating ‘This could have been a riot!’; ‘Sê nou hierdie plakkaat was ‘n piksteel?’ (‘Say this banner was an pickaxe handle?’); or ‘What if this flyer was a flying brick?’.But in response, the question on most people’s minds is: ‘Is a political riot really likely during this election?’Nasria CEO Ndjoura Tjizongoro certainly thinks so.Speaking to The Namibian at the rally yesterday, he said that with the reports of intimidation surrounding the Tobias Hainyeko by-elections, the Omuthiya Town Council elections, and the standoffs that have become a regular between RDP and Swapo, one couldn’t rule out the possibility of a riot.’It has happened in South Africa, and we shouldn’t think that we here in Namibia are immune,’ he stated.’Just last week, political gatherings in the North almost went wrong.’ During the past four years, Nasria has not had to pay out any claims for riots, strikes, civil commotion, labour disturbances and lockouts, against which it insures, and Tjozongoro says that the last elections in 2004 did not draw see any claims for riots either.But he cautions that while Namibia is a relatively peaceful country, ‘the fact remains, it does happen, and the little question of ‘what if?’ also applies here’.Explaining the idea behind the staged rally, he said: ‘Most Namibians are not aware that damage or loss to their property caused by a riot or a strike is not covered by standard short-term insurance policies. Nasria is the only insurer that insures against loss caused by, amongst others, a political riot.’The company, backed by Government and underwritten by short-term insurers, is currently offering a 14-day election cover policy that individuals can obtain between now and November 13. The client can choose the period before, during and after the November 27 and 28 elections over which he/she would like to have the two-week election cover activated.nangula@namibian.com.na