Martin Endjala
Swakopmund’s mayor, Dina Namubes has assured the public that a proposal by Rössing to donate and build a new police station in the town does not constitute a conflict of interest for the council or the police.
Namubes said this in a telephone interview with the Windhoek Observer on Tuesday, responding to the public’s concerns.
According to the mayor, all processes must be followed before the council approves anything.
She clarified that after completing all procedures, the council had to review and approve the proposed police station, which it had received as a donation.
“I do not know who that concerned public member is, but first of all, there is no conflict of interests; these are all entities involving the central government, local government, and regional government. This means that Rössing is the entity with capital, the donation is going to the Ministry of Safety and Security, and the council donated land to the ministry, making the ministry the owner of that land because it was donated, while the police represent a service provider, so there is no interest in conflict in this regard,” she stated.
According to the mayor, having an additional police station in the town will improve the lack of resources that prevents the police from fully executing their duties.
She said that with the region’s growing population on the horizon, it is very important to beef up its law enforcement to ensure the safety of its inhabitants.
The mayor called on public members to submit their objection application to do so before or on 14 June, as stated in a recent notice seen by this publication.
The notice states that Rössing has proposed to construct and donate a police station in Swakopmund and hand it over to the custodian ministry.
Affirmative Repositioning Movement (AR) activist Tuhafeni Petrus welcomed the proposed police station, which, according to him, will help combat crime in the town, particularly in the DRC informal settlement.
He clarified that the absence of law enforcement in the DRC frequently forces residents to defend themselves against criminals, sometimes resulting in fatalities.
He cautioned those who opposed the proposed police station not to involve politics in improving lives, adding that Rössing has done more in the region than other mining companies.
“Look, if a company that belongs to you, for example, donates items like bricks to build a police station, is that not regarded as contributing to combating crime? So why now is it that Rössing’s donation is being questioned? We must be careful sometimes how we interrogate things; Rössing has done a lot for the community as part of their corporate social investment. Arandis exist because of Rössing and the new Tamariskia suburb,” he said.
Petrus is optimistic about the proposed police station and hopes it comes to fruition. This will enable the police to combat crime in the region much more efficiently.
He said the current police stations in the region are not enough, and a new police station would go a long way towards reducing crime.
Duminga Ndala, the youth leader of the Landless People’s Movement, said that while companies such as Rössing can contribute to the community through their social responsibility initiatives, they may perceive the donation of a police station as a conflict of interest.
She said the public could view this as an attempt by the company to gain favour or avoid scrutiny from law enforcement agencies.
“The police must remain independent and impartial in their duties. If they are seen to be receiving significant benefits from a private entity, it could undermine their ability to enforce the law impartially, especially regarding that entity. We hope such donations do not influence police activities or decision-making processes,” she said.
The United Democratic Front (UDF) spokesperson, Mabasen Narib, said they do not see any way in which this will create conflict, adding that, given Swakopmund’s growth, it will only enhance service delivery.
He said the current two police stations are unable to attend to all the public demands in town, and another police station will just enhance service delivery to the people.
“John Savva donated the Dolphin Police station to the Walvis Bay Police Department, and there is no conflict of interest. For Rössing to make a donation of that magnitude is long overdue, so there is and will be no conflict of interest.
It will just enable a much-needed service to the public wherever it is constructed. UDF welcomes the gesture from Rössing. Swakopmund currently has an estimated population of 75 000 people, and two police stations are certainly not sufficient to serve the community’s needs.
