Renthia Kaimbi
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has called for protection orders issued under the Combating of Domestic Violence Act to be served within 24 hours, without exception, as government moves to strengthen its response to gender-based violence (GBV) and address gaps in the implementation of laws meant to protect victims.
Nandi-Ndaitwah made the call on Saturday while delivering her message at the National Prayer Day against GBV and gruesome killings at the Independence Arena in Windhoek.
She said the expedited serving of protection orders forms part of measures being taken to close what she described as a “huge gap” between Namibia’s legislation and its implementation.
She said the ministry of justice and labour relations is also reviewing how the Combating of Domestic Violence Act and the Combating of Rape Act are applied in practice, with particular attention to repeat offenders, chronic delays and gaps that leave survivors unprotected.
“Protection Orders under the Combating of Domestic Violence Act [are] to be served within 24 hours, without exception,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
She added that where the law itself needs to change, proposals will be made.
The President also announced that the ministry of home affairs, immigration, safety and security, with the Inspector-General of the Namibian Police, is conducting a full assessment of every GBV Protection Unit in the country.
The assessment, Nandi-Ndaitwah said, covers staffing, training, transport, communication systems, case tracking and the reach of the units to survivors, with efforts expected to be made to address shortcomings identified.
Nandi-Ndaitwah further stated that the government accepts that it carries the biggest responsibility in confronting GBV and other social ills, but stressed that the state cannot solve the problems alone.
“Government, the police, our courts, schools, families, religious institutions, traditional authorities, and communities must work as one towards bringing an end to these evils that face us,” she said.
The National Prayer Day was held under the theme “Seeking Divine Intervention for Behavioural Change. God Knows. God Hears. God Sees.”
Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibia was being “haunted by different evils”, including GBV, gruesome killings, road deaths and suicide.
She noted that the country was returning to national prayer 12 years after former president Hifikepunye Pohamba led a similar prayer day in March 2014, aimed at seeking divine intervention, expressing solidarity with victims and their families, and raising awareness about violence against women and children.
“Today, 12 years later we are back again to put our prayers together, believing that God hears,” she said.
However, she questioned why progress in the fight against GBV remained insignificant, asking what the country was “not doing right”.
The President also raised concern over the number of lives being lost on Namibia’s roads, saying the country has some of the best roads in the world but continues to bury loved ones because of road crashes.
She said the 12 September prayer day followed a Cabinet decision for Namibians to come together in prayer across all 14 regions.
Nandi-Ndaitwah thanked Vice President Lucia Witbooi for leading the organisation of the prayer day after being assigned the responsibility by Cabinet.
She announced that the government is also accelerating the review of the Road Traffic and Transport Act and the National Road Safety Act, with stronger consequences being considered for drunken driving, speeding and repeat dangerous offenders, as well as better protection for pedestrians and cyclists.
She stressed that government’s response must be measurable, warning that prayer cannot substitute for action.
“Prayer must be matched by performance, and performance must be measured,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
She further cautioned that even the strongest laws cannot prevent violence in every home or ensure that police officers are present in every relationship.
She therefore called on families, communities and faith leaders to take responsibility for addressing the behavioural and social factors contributing to violence.
Nandi-Ndaitwah urged religious and traditional leaders to help rebuild values such as compassion, self-control, respect, honesty, accountability and care for vulnerable people.
To parents and guardians, she said children must be taught that “love is never violent, and that strength is not control”.
Teachers were urged to recognise and address distress, bullying and abuse before they worsen, while men and boys were encouraged to seek help, with the President stressing that walking away from violence is strength rather than weakness.
She also called on neighbours, relatives and friends to report danger, not ignore cries for help and intervene safely.
Law enforcement officers, meanwhile, were urged to handle every GBV report, whether made by a woman or a man, with sensitivity and urgency.
The President extended condolences to families who have lost loved ones to GBV, gruesome killings and careless driving, saying the nation sees their pain and shares their grief.
She said the Namibia the country wants remains within reach – a country where women and children are safe, men and boys can seek help without shame, disagreements do not become violence, justice is firm and every life is treated with dignity.
Nandi-Ndaitwah urged Namibians to ensure that the National Prayer Day becomes more than a gathering and instead serves as a turning point.
“Let it be a turning point,” she said, calling on citizens to change how they speak, raise their children, settle conflicts, respond through institutions and protect one another.
The President drew on Psalm 121:1-2, saying the scripture reminds Namibians that the country is “not without help or hope”, while emphasising the responsibility to believe in God and act to address the challenges confronting society.
#WindhoekObserver
