Stop aiding criminals, police chief warns
Lack of trust undermines reporting crime, community says
While acknowledging challenges within the force, police chief Joseph Shikongo has called on residents to share responsibility in the fight against crime by refusing to shield offenders or support the sale of stolen goods.
Namibian Police inspector general Joseph Shikongo has issued a stern warning to community members who shield criminals, warning that their complicity fuels crime.
Addressing residents during a packed community engagement in Rundu last Friday, Shikongo accused some individuals of knowingly harbouring criminals in their homes and driving demand for stolen goods, including mobile phones and livestock products, through informal black markets.
“Some of you are keeping children at home who go out at night, rob people, come back with N$2 000, and you don’t ask where the money comes from,” Shikongo said. “You say ‘it’s my child’, but that same child is terrorising the streets. And then you turn around and say the police are not doing their job.”
In a symbolic moment, Shikongo invited those involved in theft to come forward to be prayed for, not arrested – but no one stepped forward.
“We’re not going to arrest you today,” he said. “We are going to pray for you. But after this meeting, do not repeat the same mistakes.”
He also called on households to take responsibility if they are sheltering known thieves. “If the criminals are in your house, tell us. Let them go. Stop defending them.”
Residents question falling crime stats
The police chief, who has travelled across the country since his 2022 appointment to forge stronger community-police relations, said law enforcement alone cannot curb crime.
“We want to build a police force that serves the people,” he said. “But we cannot succeed if you are buying stolen phones, stolen meat or clothes off someone walking around with a bag full of baby nappies.”
Despite official statistics showing a decline in reported crimes, with 2 024 cases recorded in the region over the past year, including 378 incidents of fraud and 276 robberies, community members at the meeting challenged the figures.
Rundu resident Maria Mukoya said theft and house break-ins are rising.
“Every month someone I know is broken into, especially in the informal areas,” she said. “We hear about arrests, but the same people are back in the street. So for me, crime is not decreasing, it’s just changing form.”
Another resident, Simeon Kavetu, said the statistics may not reflect the reality because people have lost faith in reporting cases.
“Some people don’t even go to the police anymore because they feel nothing will happen,” he said. “So the numbers may show a drop, but it’s just that people stopped reporting.”
Restore integrity and trust
Shikongo admitted the police face internal challenges, including misconduct among officers, but efforts are underway to improve the force.
“When our members are found guilty through disciplinary processes, we discharge them,” he said. “No one is above the law, not even us.”
He also spoke of long-term reforms, including strategic pillars to improve performance, build partnerships with the public, and professionalise the force under the values of integrity, fairness and accessibility.
But ultimately, he said, the public must take equal responsibility in fighting crime. “We, as a nation, can reduce this figure,” he said. “But only if we stop buying stolen goods, stop defending criminals, and stop normalising wrongdoing in our homes.”
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Addressing residents during a packed community engagement in Rundu last Friday, Shikongo accused some individuals of knowingly harbouring criminals in their homes and driving demand for stolen goods, including mobile phones and livestock products, through informal black markets.
“Some of you are keeping children at home who go out at night, rob people, come back with N$2 000, and you don’t ask where the money comes from,” Shikongo said. “You say ‘it’s my child’, but that same child is terrorising the streets. And then you turn around and say the police are not doing their job.”
In a symbolic moment, Shikongo invited those involved in theft to come forward to be prayed for, not arrested – but no one stepped forward.
“We’re not going to arrest you today,” he said. “We are going to pray for you. But after this meeting, do not repeat the same mistakes.”
He also called on households to take responsibility if they are sheltering known thieves. “If the criminals are in your house, tell us. Let them go. Stop defending them.”
Residents question falling crime stats
The police chief, who has travelled across the country since his 2022 appointment to forge stronger community-police relations, said law enforcement alone cannot curb crime.
“We want to build a police force that serves the people,” he said. “But we cannot succeed if you are buying stolen phones, stolen meat or clothes off someone walking around with a bag full of baby nappies.”
Despite official statistics showing a decline in reported crimes, with 2 024 cases recorded in the region over the past year, including 378 incidents of fraud and 276 robberies, community members at the meeting challenged the figures.
Rundu resident Maria Mukoya said theft and house break-ins are rising.
“Every month someone I know is broken into, especially in the informal areas,” she said. “We hear about arrests, but the same people are back in the street. So for me, crime is not decreasing, it’s just changing form.”
Another resident, Simeon Kavetu, said the statistics may not reflect the reality because people have lost faith in reporting cases.
“Some people don’t even go to the police anymore because they feel nothing will happen,” he said. “So the numbers may show a drop, but it’s just that people stopped reporting.”
Restore integrity and trust
Shikongo admitted the police face internal challenges, including misconduct among officers, but efforts are underway to improve the force.
“When our members are found guilty through disciplinary processes, we discharge them,” he said. “No one is above the law, not even us.”
He also spoke of long-term reforms, including strategic pillars to improve performance, build partnerships with the public, and professionalise the force under the values of integrity, fairness and accessibility.
But ultimately, he said, the public must take equal responsibility in fighting crime. “We, as a nation, can reduce this figure,” he said. “But only if we stop buying stolen goods, stop defending criminals, and stop normalising wrongdoing in our homes.”
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