Outjo Mayor Barthomeus !Aibeb has called for intensified efforts to address gender-based violence and substance abuse in the town.
He made the call during a Pots of Hope stakeholders' meeting in Outjo, Kunene Region.
!Aibeb said monthly police reports on alcohol and drug-related crimes were worrying.
From January to date, 35 rape cases involving women and children have been recorded, including one case of male rape.
“We need to be honest about the situation here in Outjo. It does not help us to sit here and talk about the problem without taking action. We need to identify practical solutions and focus on what can be done on the ground. We can have productive discussions here, but if we leave this meeting and remain silent without implementing what we have agreed upon, I can assure you that we will not find a solution. The police continue to keep us informed about what is happening. We must take these reports seriously and change our behaviour accordingly, because this issue is being reported as a concern affecting the Namibian nation.”
!Aibeb said the council had allocated land in the Etoshapoort informal settlement for a police station to improve response times and strengthen crime prevention.
“The council is doing its best and has allocated a piece of land in Etoshapoort for the police to operate closer to the community and carry out their responsibilities more effectively. The plot is large enough to accommodate all police divisions under one roof, including the dog unit. The council has also donated land for the dog unit’s training activities. This will make it easier for the dogs to move around and assist in searching for people suspected of selling drugs.”
Pots of Hope founder Alexia Naris welcomed continued collaboration between government directorates, communities, and the police to address crime and GBV.
“The police’s Basadi women’s unit conducted a drive-through campaign, engaging with people about gender-based violence. As you can see in the picture, we also stopped at a house as part of the initiative. Pots of Hope collaborated with the Outjo Police, and we would like to see this partnership continue. We have only held the initiative once, but it would be great to do it again with the Outjo Police. We also went to Parliament to provide an update on our outreach, our activities on the ground, our success stories and the challenges we face.”
Pots of Hope is a local non-governmental organisation that empowers marginalised women, youth, and children, particularly in the Kunene and Otjozondjupa regions, through skills training, income generation, health education, and social support.