Oshana police commander Naftal Sakaria says during his early days as Oshana police commander, he encountered resistance from some police officers who did not agree with his approach to policing.
Sakaria said this in an exclusive interview with The Namibian after the inaguration of a satellite police station at Oshoopala at Oshakati yesterday.
Sakaria was appointed as Oshana police regional commander in 2022. He previously served as the head of the police’s Special Reserve Force. He has served in the Namibian police for 28 years.
He said some police officers did not agree with his visits to churches, a platform he created to introduce himself to the residents of the region and to request police-public cooperation.
“I could immediately tell some people think, no, that’s not how it is… what is this guy trying to do? What is this thing of meetings going to churches? This is not policing, but it’s an idea and a vision to say if we want to succeed in building a partnership, we have to go to the people,” Sakaria said.
He added that there was also an officer who has since retired who would stand up in meetings and say he does not agree with Sakaria’s approach.
“That’s the resistance I am referring to, but eventually, they realised this thing is bearing fruit. Then they started changing their mindset. It was just resistance to change, which I believe is a natural phenomenon to some people who would always want to reject change,” Sakaria said.
He said his team is now very cooperative, comparing it to a “well-oiled machine”.
Sakaria said serious crimes like armed robbery are on the decrease in the Oshana region.
Sakaria also urged poachers to stay away from Etosha National Park, since the police have deployed a special squad to augment the deployment of armed forces already there.
He said the special squad specialises in ambushing and is from the Special Reserve Force.
“Yesterday, I had a meeting with the intelligence, so that we now have intervention from outside.
When there is information or intelligence, we intervene, but people must be warned. This is not a joke. I think about four people died in Etosha this year. We don’t want people to die there,” he said.
He said whoever enters the national park armed should be ready for war.
Speaking at the inauguration of the satellite police station, Oshakati mayor Leonard Hango said as the population of Oshakati grows, the authorities must prioritise the safety and security of residents.
“This is why it is imperative that we review our policing strategy and ensure that we are allocating resources where they are needed the most,” Hango said.
He said Oshoopala has become a hotspot for crime as the population of Oshakati grows.
“After careful consideration and evaluation by the Namibian Police, we believe that setting up the Oshoopala Satellite Police Station is a strategic move.
It allows us to redirect our resources to areas that require more immediate attention and to establish a stronger, more effective police presence in those crime hotspots,” he said.
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