Safeguarding Windhoek: Telecom Namibia and City Police Collaborate to Protect Infrastructure

Telecom Namibia CEO Dr. Stanley Shanapinda and management paid a courtesy visit to the City of Windhoek and City Police to discuss areas of collaboration aimed at enhancing safety and security, and the protection of telecommunications infrastructure in the City.

To expedite the collaborative efforts between the two parties, a task team comprising of members of both institutions will be set-up to align the strategies of the City of Windhoek and Telecom Namibia on delivering a safe city. This collaboration will entail the deployment of CCTV cameras in crime hotspots where copper and battery theft and vandalism of other telecommunications infrastructure is rampant.

City of Windhoek Acting CEO and Strategic Executive: Housing, Property Management and Human Settlement, Mr Faniel Maanda during the visit indicated that the City plans to turn Windhoek into a Smart City. He highlighted that the Windhoek population has grown at a rapid pace, bringing with it a rise in crime. He emphasized the City’s efforts collaborating with various stakeholders in delivering the City’s goal ”to be a Sustainable and Caring City by 2027.”  “We aim to make Windhoek safe for all residents,” he said. 

Subsequently Dr Shanapinda highlighted that Telecom Namibia manages the biggest telecommunications network in the country, vastly reliant on copper connections. “We service residential, Government and corporate customers, and often when our infrastructure is vandalized, all communication and trading in an area is brought to a halt. “The aim is to replace copper with fiber to reduce incidents of theft and vandalism and mitigate downtime of services. We can however not replace all copper overnight, while the sourcing of copper is also becoming more challenging. As such Telecom Namibia in collaboration with law enforcement agencies have to come up with tactics to safeguard the telecommunications infrastructure before the company gets to a point where it can no longer find supplies to replace stolen and vandalized parts.”

“We need to co-identify key areas prone to crime and put-up infrastructure to assist with pro-active policing in crime hotspots,” Dr Shanapinda said. He lauded the City of Windhoek for its forward-looking strategies in safeguarding the residents and property in the City. 

Chief Leevi Shivolo Ileka, Head Windhoek Municipal Police Service highlighted various Smart Policing initiatives, the City Police are undertaking and have planned through the intensified use of technology to make Windhoek the safest city in Africa.

Chief Ileka said the initiatives will enhance efforts towards proactive policing; lead to quick and effective response times; and allow for wider enforcement coverage by a single member of the City Police, among others.