Oshana police will not tolerate political violence amid election campaigns

The police in the Oshana region have vowed not to tolerate any form of political violence as the nation gears up for political campaigns and the general elections in November.

Oshana police regional commander commissioner Naftal Sakaria says there will be “zero tolerance” for any threats, intimidation, and closure of roads before, during, and after the elections and election campaigns.

He said this in an interview with The Namibian on Monday.

“We called a meeting with all the political parties’ representatives in the region, we sat with them and explained everything to them. We made it clear to them that we do not want political parties interfering in other political parties’ campaigns. We don’t want anyone threatening or intimidating others. We want peace to reign in the region, and we as the police are not going to tolerate political violence,” he said.

Sakaria said the police in the region are not going to allow political parties to host campaigns in the same area and on the same day, as it leads to chaos and violence.

“We also explained to them the issue of banners and flags. We do not want anyone tearing other political parties’ banners or flags. Every political party has a right to hoist their party flags wherever they want, as long as they are not invading other people’s private premises,” he said.

Sakaria said the regional police is ready to uphold law and order during and after elections, adding that the police officers will undergo training in a few weeks time, before the election, in order for them to be fully prepared on how to tackle the election process.