PRESIDENT NUJOMA CONDEMNS VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN
By Chrispin Inambao

February 12, 2003 – (The Namibian - Windhoek) AS armed Police officers kept Namibians concerned about violence against women and children away from Parliament yesterday, President Sam Nujoma was speaking about the issue inside the National Assembly.

"I would particularly like to express my concern about the recent spate of violent crimes directed against women and children," President Nujoma said when he officially opened the seventh session of Parliament in Windhoek.

"These crimes represent a gross violation of the fundamental rights of our citizens, while causing unwarranted damage to the good name of our country. These despicable acts of barbarism must therefore be roundly condemned and completely uprooted," he said amid a drumming of desks by parliamentarians.

Nujoma, who called for unity of purpose in both word and deed, called on all the people to assist law enforcement agencies to bring to book offenders who threaten the safety of people and sabotage the economy.

The Combating of Domestic Violence Bill, the Maintenance Bill and the Community Courts Bill are among the pieces of draft legislation that have been referred to the various Standing Committees for further scrutiny.

Though Nujoma quoted the Constitution saying "all power shall vest in the people of Namibia who shall exercise their sovereignty through the democratic institutions of the State" a group of demonstrators who wanted to petition parliament to enact the Combating of Domestic Violence Bill were blocked by armed members of the Police, who even cocked their weapons.

Nujoma said that yesterday's gathering was "in keeping with our constitutional provisions and democratic traditions through which our Republic is governed".

From: http://allafrica.com/stories/200302120058.html