By Elina-Ombili Shishaki |
Access to information is a vital key to acquiring fact-based information and ensuring that there is transparency, good governance and that public servants or leaders are answerable to the society.
Thus different stakeholders from various institutions embarked on a day long information sharing session today in Omuthiya town in the Oshikoto region.
The event was hosted by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) in accordance with the Access to information Act, No.8 of 2022, with the main purpose of bringing information and information-related services closer to people.
The general public got an opportunity to engage with stakeholders and ask them questions on anything.
Stakeholders like the Namibian Police under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, the National Housing Enterprise (NHE), Sanlam and financial institutions like Nedbank and First National Bank (FNB) formed part of this initiative.
In an interview with Omutumwa Mrs Josephina Mwashindange, a Senior Information Officer at MICT Oshikoto regional office highlighted that the main objective of this initiative is to ensure that they share and disseminate information to the general public.
“As a ministry we work hand in hand with different stakeholders to ensure that people have access to information. Thus we host such events so that stakeholders can come together and engage with the public,” Mwashindange said.
“You cannot make a decision if you don’t have the right information, hence we want the public to familiarise themselves with different services that are being offered by different institutions and to have a knowledgeable society.”
In an effort to safeguard the information and combat cybercrime, the government is busy finalising the Data Protection Bill as well as the Cybercrime Bill which is in the final drafting stage.
“Since technology is advancing at a fast pace, the information ministry conducts a free digital computer literacy training to ensure that people have basic knowledge on how to navigate through different gadgets and that they are equipped with necessary skills,” said Mashindange.
Meanwhile the Namibian Police plays a crucial role in crime prevention, so that it occasionally carries out community outreach programmes to inform and educate the public on how to fight crimes.
“We visit different schools throughout the region with a sole purpose of educating the learners on how to prevent crime,” said Oshikoto region Nampol’s Community Policing Officer, Sergeant Mukena Matengu.
“We also have a Mobile Charge Office Initiative whereby we visit places where it is difficult to have a police station. Currently the common cases in Oshikoto region are stock theft and housebreaking cases.”
Speaking at the same event the Oshikoto Area Coordinator of Namibia College of Open Learning (Namcol), Mr Tomas Uupindi urged people, especially learners, to visit the Namcol Office situated at Okaale Lifestyle Complex in Omuthiya to register for tertiary courses and Technical Vocational Training Programmes (TVET) which are funded by Namibia Student Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF).
Uupindi also pointed out that in an effort to ensure that learners have necessary learning support materials required to prepare for final examinations, Namcol has an offer of 70% discount for all the booklet required for NSSCO/H or Advanced Subsidiary level valid until end of September.
Next year’s enrolment will commence from 22 January until 07 February at all Namcol centre countrywide.
In the photos: Oshikoto Nampol’s Chief Inspector Ellen Nehale assisting a local resident with document certification during the event. Nedbank officials were also on hand to provide financial services information, as was MICT’s Ms Josephina Mwashindange.
