Placido Hilukilwa
THE peace and harmony Namibia enjoys today are not accidental. They are secured daily by members of the security cluster, said Defence and Veterans Affairs Minister Frans Kapofi.
Addressing the Annual Staff Meeting in Windhoek, Kapofi said that the Ministry is an important pillar of the Namibian state.
Photos: MODVA
“You are entrusted with safeguarding our sovereignty, territorial integrity, and constitutional order. That is our Ministry’s reason for existence,” said Kapofi before reciting a Cabinet statement according to which, without security, there is no development, and without development there is no sustainable security.
“Our role is, therefore, both military and developmental. You protect the nation while enabling its growth,” he said.
The minister said that although Namibia remains stable, the country faces evolving risks that require constant vigilance.
According to him, the risks include:
– Cross-border trafficking in drugs, wildlife, and illicit goods;
– Organised crime networks exploiting transit routes through Namibia;
– Illegal fishing in Namibia’s territorial waters; and
– Cybersecurity vulnerabilities, amongst others.
“These are not traditional battlefield threats,” he said, “yet they demand defence readiness, intelligence-gathering capabilities and sharing, and inter-agency collaboration.”
