Martin Endjala
Karibib is planning to establish a new truck port to alleviate road congestion caused by trucks parked along roads and at service stations.
The mayor of Karirbib, Davey van Wyk, clarified that the proposed truck port aims solely to address logistical challenges and will not contribute to an increase in prostitution within the town.
“Yes, sex workers are a concern, and truck drivers are unfortunately known to pick them up. But this is not going to affect the truck port, as we will set up a system where trucks will be locked in a yard, giving access only to truck drivers,” he said.
The interaction between prostitutes and soldiers of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) raised concerns, but Mayor van Wyk pointed out that the town’s demographics, with more men employed than women, contribute to such issues.
He acknowledged ongoing efforts to engage with military authorities to address social challenges, such as teenage pregnancy.
“The problem we have is that most of the men are working and these young girls are in school. While adult women don’t have jobs, most of them come from poor backgrounds,” he explained.
The mayor stated that due to concerns about teenage pregnancy, he engaged NDF’s commanders at the camp to engage its staff to minimise teenage pregnancy.
Van Wyk said there has been an improvement but cautioned that rooting sex workers out of any town is a difficult task.
He also highlighted the town council’s efforts to explore new job opportunities aimed at benefiting women, thereby improving overall community welfare.
Petersen Kambinda, secretary general of the Namibian Revolutionary Transport Union (Naretu), echoed support for the truck port initiative, emphasising its potential to enhance driver safety by providing secure resting facilities.
“On the Karibib truck port, it is our wish that the investors can build more truck ports across the country, as this will lead to more safety for our drivers when they rest at a truck port,” he said.
He added that truck drivers are no longer the primary clients of sex workers, as they now spend more time at home with their families.
Kambinda encouraged those still indulging in this business to be extra careful.
