Windhoek West councillor gets down to business

WINDHOEK West councillor Sophie Shaningwa has organised a number of public meetings to address crime, health and education-related problems.

Shaningwa said yesterday that crime had reached unacceptable levels in her constituency with cases of stabbings and rape of children of school-going age in riverbeds becoming an almost daily occurrence. “Some people are suffering in silence, both from crime and poverty.Last week a learner from Concordia College was stabbed in a riverbed and was in a coma for two days.I am aware of a girl who was raped in the same riverbed while a lot of botsotsos smoke dagga there,” Shaningwa told The Namibian yesterday.She has now embarked on a series of meetings to consult the community for a mandate to tackle the problems.One such meeting will take place on Tuesday (18h00, Pioneerspark Primary School).She hopes to set up a sub-committee that will feed the constituency development committee with information about the happenings on the ground.”There are a lot of issues in Windhoek West.You can hardly go anywhere with your children.We must talk and come up with proposals for recreational facilities but I want the ideas to come from the community,” said Shaningwa.The Regional Councillor revealed that she was pushing Government to set up a primary school, clinic and satellite police station at either Rocky Crest or Cimbebasia.”We have 400 learners in Rocky Crest and another 400 in Cimbebasia going to schools in Katutura.Yet in the beginning of every year we do not understand why the schools in Katutura are always full,” she said.She said a primary school was likely to be built next year or in 2006 in one of the two suburbs to lessen the pressure on schools in Katutura.Shaningwa said she was aware of budgetary constraints but believed that a “small health facility” or a satellite station will have a major impact on health and crime in the suburbs.”I want my community to say that they have also observed what I have just put to you.Crime will drop is criminals see the presence of the security in the constituencies, ” she said.”I know the meetings can bring change.I had meetings in Khomasdal East after two children where run down by cars next to Herman Gmeiner School and we got street bumps to slow down the traffic,” she said.”Some people are suffering in silence, both from crime and poverty.Last week a learner from Concordia College was stabbed in a riverbed and was in a coma for two days.I am aware of a girl who was raped in the same riverbed while a lot of botsotsos smoke dagga there,” Shaningwa told The Namibian yesterday.She has now embarked on a series of meetings to consult the community for a mandate to tackle the problems.One such meeting will take place on Tuesday (18h00, Pioneerspark Primary School).She hopes to set up a sub-committee that will feed the constituency development committee with information about the happenings on the ground.”There are a lot of issues in Windhoek West.You can hardly go anywhere with your children.We must talk and come up with proposals for recreational facilities but I want the ideas to come from the community,” said Shaningwa.The Regional Councillor revealed that she was pushing Government to set up a primary school, clinic and satellite police station at either Rocky Crest or Cimbebasia.”We have 400 learners in Rocky Crest and another 400 in Cimbebasia going to schools in Katutura.Yet in the beginning of every year we do not understand why the schools in Katutura are always full,” she said.She said a primary school was likely to be built next year or in 2006 in one of the two suburbs to lessen the pressure on schools in Katutura.Shaningwa said she was aware of budgetary constraints but believed that a “small health facility” or a satellite station will have a major impact on health and crime in the suburbs.”I want my community to say that they have also observed what I have just put to you.Crime will drop is criminals see the presence of the security in the constituencies, ” she said.”I know the meetings can bring change.I had meetings in Khomasdal East after two children where run down by cars next to Herman Gmeiner School and we got street bumps to slow down the traffic,” she said.