Okongo police barracks an eyesore

SOME police officers at Okongo in the Ohangwena region are living in squalor in dilapidated barracks which once housed the United Nations Transition Assistance Group shortly before independence.

The barracks have no running water, and officers have to fetch water elsewhere. The ablution facilities are out of order, and the ceilings are falling apart, while most of the window panes are broken.

The wooden walls have huge holes, which make them a safe haven for rodents that teem the area. There are about 120 police officers stationed at Okongo. Out of these, only 12 have been accommodated in newly constructed barracks.

The rest, mostly low-ranking officers, are stuck in the filthy and dilapidated wooden barracks.

During a visit by The Namibian on Saturday, some police officers expressed dissatisfaction over the condition of the barracks.

“You can see for yourself the suffering we are going through,” said an officer, who declined to be named for fear of reprisals.

The officer, who has been living in the barracks for 10 years, said when nature calls, they use toilets at the police station, which are about 100 metres away.

Their families, however, are not allowed to use the toilets at the station, so they have to go into the nearby bushes. “They say we are in an independent Namibia, but this does not look like it,” she stressed.

Another officer told The Namibian that because of the dilapidated state of the barracks, they risk losing their personal belongings.

“Some of the barracks do not have doors. Anyone can enter and steal. The seniors should address this problem,” he added. “You cannot perform well coming from such a house. They want us to be committed to our work, while they fail to take care of our housing needs.”

Ohangwena police spokesperson sergeant Abner Itumba said the housing problem at the Okongo police station is known by the region’s police leadership.

Itumba, however, said that because of budgetary constraints, proper accommodation facilities could not be built in the past and for the next few years.

“As you might be aware, the ministry will also not buy vehicles and there will be no recruitment, while all projects have been suspended,” he stated, adding that projects such as new accommodation for police officers will only be considered from 2019.