Onandova men discuss gender-based crime

OKAKWA – The senior councillor of the Oukwanyama Traditional Authority for the Onandova District, Elias Waandja, has said he is disturbed by the increasing reports of Namibian men sexually abusing and killing women and children.

Addressing the first-ever men’s seminar held at Okakwa village in his district on Saturday, Waandja said it is even more disturbing that his home region, Ohangwena, experiences a high number of these cases.

The senior councillor convened the seminar in order for the participants to try and establish the root causes of gender-based violence and for them to come up with an effective strategy against the problem.

One of the causes of such crimes discussed by participants is alcohol and drug abuse and as such, they suggested that alcohol outlets only be allowed to trade until 20h00.

The Oukwanyama Traditional Authority leadership has already advised its village leaders to control the mushrooming of alcohol outlets by ensuring that cuca shops and shebeens are established at one centre per village, which would help with proper control by law-enforcement units.

It was also agreed that men in the Ohangwena region should become more involved in the campaign against crimes perpetrated against women and children. Participating members of the police, including Warrant Officer Kaume Iitumba, revealed that one out of three women is a victim of gender-based violence in Ohangwena.

“Nowadays, you find many women in the queue reporting gender-based violence perpetrated against them or a child,” stated the police officials.

They also indicated that 465 rape cases were reported to the police in the Ohangwena Region between September 2019 and September this year.