Kavango East Region Police Acting Commander Bonifatius Kanyetu says the force is doing as much as it can with the limited resources at its disposal.

According to the 2011 census, Kavango East has a population of more than 136,800 inhabitants, but that figure continues to grow annually.

The entire region is served by only five police stations. These stations are spread out over distances of 100 kilometers or more.

Bonifatius Kanyetu, the acting police commander in the Kavango East Region, acknowledged that in times of emergency, people have had to wait a long time for police assistance.

"I want the members of the community to bear with us as our discussions go on and our engagements are fruitful and the understanding of the community is there. There are measures that they are putting in place while waiting for the police. The only thing I want to discourage is a recent report from Mayana in which members of the public apprehended people who had committed an offense and were brutally assaulted. This is not something that is good, I know. Article 41 of our Criminal Procedure Act gives that right for public arrest, but it clearly states we should arrest the person and deliver that person to the police."

Deputy Commissioner Kanyetu cautions the community not to take the law into their own hands.

He also warns the public against buying stolen items, noting that by doing so, the public creates a market for criminals, defeating the purpose behind the police's drive to root out crime.