Interview: Rising Crime Crisis Leaves Farm Residents in Daures Constituency Living in Fear

Residents of Farm !Khawab in the Daures Constituency say they are living under increasing fear as stock theft and armed robberies escalate, with little effective response from authorities. Community members claim that criminal activity, often carried out at night by armed suspects wearing balaclavas, has turned the area into a high-risk zone, with perpetrators allegedly exploiting their knowledge of the terrain to target homes and livestock.

According to residents, repeated appeals for intervention have gone unanswered for years, including requests to the Erongo Regional Council and Erongo RED to provide electrification and install streetlights in the area. They argue that the lack of lighting not only increases vulnerability to crime but also exposes residents to other dangers such as snake bites when moving around at night.

Residents further claim that emergency responses are often delayed, citing an incident in which police reportedly could not immediately respond to a robbery due to being engaged elsewhere, with officers arriving from Omaruru after the suspects had already fled. They say this pattern has left them feeling abandoned and unprotected.

Livestock theft has also become a major concern, with residents alleging that criminals are now brazenly entering kraals, slaughtering animals, and transporting them away with little resistance.

Frustrated by the situation, community members are calling for urgent intervention from the government, including the Regional Governor, the President of Namibia, and the Inspector General of the Namibian Police Force. Some residents believe that military patrols by the Namibian Defence Force may be necessary to restore safety and prevent further escalation.

They are urging authorities to act swiftly, warning that continued inaction could lead to further loss of property or even loss of life.