All hope not lost in GBV fight: PM

WINDHOEK, 31 AUG (NAMPA) – Following the killing of nine-year-old Avihe Cheryl Ujaha – all hope in Namibia’s quest to curb gender-based violence (GBV) and crimes committed against children is not lost as programmes are in place to address these evil deeds.
Those were the words of Prime Minister (PM) Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila in an interview with Nampa on Wednesday, at the Ujaha and Kaimu residence in Katutura.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila visited the bereaved family to pay tribute on behalf of Government.
“I wouldn’t really say Government is caught unaware and that we don’t have programmes in place to curb violence especially against vulnerable members of society,” the premier maintained.
She said Government’s efforts to prevent crime is spearheaded by law enforcement agencies to protect society in general, and the weak in particular.
“We resource them to be able to not only deal with cases of crime, but to also promote the prevention of crime,” she added.
This, according to the PM is done through promoting community awareness of their participation in fighting crime through community policing.
More so, security officials are trained to effectively and efficiently investigate criminal cases to ensure that perpetrators are brought to book.
“We are resourcing our judiciary institutions so that we make sure that when suspected perpetrators are brought before them, that the process is expedited and also that the institutions are capacitated to make sure these people receive stiff penalties.”
Additionally, Government is doing its best to rehabilitate those who are convicted of these crimes to ensure that they are reintegrated back into society, she said.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila’s comments come at the back of the killing of Ujaha, whose body was mutilated, dismembered and boiled before being dumped next to the Staanvas circle in Khomasdal.
The body was discovered on Tuesday.
The incident has left critics saying Government has no action plan to mitigate the prevailing abuse, killing and torture of women and children.
One such person is founder of the Affirmative Repositioning (AR) and activist Job Amupanda.
He stated on social media platforms that Namibia is facing serious social degeneration while claiming that Government had no action plan to address social ills.
“Women and children have been objectified and face constant, concomitant and callous slaughter and murder. The country’s leadership has no plan,” Amupanda vented.
In a separate interview with Nampa, Popular Democratic Movement leader McHenry Venaani also called for a clear plan to tackle GBV.
“We cannot just mourn the life without putting up an action plan that would address ending of these crimes against women and children,” Venaani said.
(NAMPA)