- Windhoek The Parliamentary Standing Committee on International Relations, Defence and Security, led by its Chairperson, Honourable James Unomasa Uerikua, paid a courtesy visit to the Inspector General of the Namibian Police Force, Lieutenant General Joseph Shikongo, at the National Police Headquarters in Windhoek.
The courtesy visit formed part of the Committee’s ongoing oversight activities aimed at enhancing coordination between Parliament and key institutions within the safety and security cluster. The engagement also sought to strengthen cooperation in advancing the country’s national security agenda, improving crime prevention strategies, and ensuring effective policing service delivery.
In his remarks, Hon. Uerikua expressed appreciation to the Inspector General for availing time to engage with the Committee. He underscored that despite representing different political parties, Members of Parliament share a collective responsibility anchored in serving the interests of the Namibian people. He noted that this common purpose continues to guide Members in executing their legislative and oversight functions.
The Inspector General welcomed the delegation and emphasized the importance of sustained collaboration and open dialogue between Parliament and law enforcement agencies. He provided a brief overview of the Namibian Police Force’s strategic focus areas and reiterated the necessity of concerted multi-sectoral partnerships in curbing the prevalence of crime.
Lt. Gen. Shikongo stated that “crime affects everyone and is not selective”, calling for greater community awareness and participation as a central component of crime prevention. Drawing from international experiences, he cited lessons from Singapore and China where community-oriented policing models have yielded tangible results.
Addressing perceptions of tribalism within the Force, the Inspector General reaffirmed that the Namibian Police operates as a professional institution guided by merit and further pledged to uphold transparency, enhance training and retraining programmes, and continue fostering integrity and non-partisanship in executing the Force’s mandate to serve the Government and the people of Namibia. In the same vein, the chairperson echoed the need to deliberate on a Funding model for the security apparatus opining that it would assist in curtailing the resources scarcity problem.
Deputy Inspector General for Administration, Major General Anna Marie Nainda, presented an overview of the Namibian Police in the international police architecture and the existing multilateral collaboration and state to state coordination on fighting cross border and transnational crime, she highlighted the continued role the country plays at INTERPOL and AFRIPOL both in sharing expertise and participation in operations.
The Inspector General called for Members of Parliament to rededicate their efforts towards pertinent issues affecting the masses in the execution of their legislative duties. In closing, the Chairperson expressed the readiness of the Members of Parliament in supporting and expediting the improvements of the conditions of service for uniformed personnel and as well capacitate them with the required resources to fulfil their mandate.
Presenting the Vote of Thanks, the Deputy Inspector General, Major General Elias Mutota highlighted that one cannot put a price tag on national security hence the Namibia Police remains steadfast in ensuring the safety and security of our country and vow to continuously coordinate in this undertaking. The engagement concluded with a shared commitment from both institutions to strengthen collaboration and ensure that Namibia remains a safe and secure environment for all its citizens.
