Passion killings are a huge concern

Celeb Talk Dj Twist: Radio personality Research indicates that 31% of Namibian women in urban areas report physical violence by a partner at some point in their lives. Now just imagine how much higher that percentage must be in the rural areas of the country where access to information is scarce. We call it passion killing, but why? It’s a crime committed by people who have been romantically involved with someone and when things turn sour, they turn to violence. This shouldn’t be classified as passion killing. Passion is supposed to be something romantic, happy and about good feelings. Killing on the other hand is taking the life of a person or animal. So yes we do know that there is a problem called passion killing, but I guess the big questions is what can we as a nation do to eradicate such happenings in our country. And further, what has government done to help improve this situation, is this working or should we find other alternatives? Most passion killings start with abusive relationships. A partner hits you and apologises. You forgive them and move on without addressing the situation. Then it happens for the second time. Our perception is that they love us. What people in abusive relationships should know is that love shouldn’t lead to violence. If it hurts, then let it be emotional hurt, but not physical. When you love, you protect, you care, you provide for and you make sure that you always put a smile on that person’s face. Love refers to an emotion of strong attraction and personal attachment and not the opposite. If you are in an abuse relationship today - one that can lead to a loss of life - then both you and your partner should try seeking help together by either talking to a counsellor or a psychologist. You should know that finding someone you can talk to about such things is very important and can save your relationship. So in the nutshell, don’t let an abusive partner take control of your life, take action before it’s too late. The time for action is now.