The Government in collaboration with the Centre for Training and Projects Development (CTPD) will symbolically "bury" crime at a yet to be determined metaphorical shrine.

AVBOB, one of the leading insurance and funeral service providers will sponsor the coffin.

The burial ceremony will take place at the end of the first annual national conference on Crime Prevention and Safety to be held from September 24 to 26 at the Safari Court Hotel in Windhoek.

The conference is aimed at providing opportunities to exchange ideas and experiences between crime prevention experts, decision-makers, and practitioners across the country under the theme 'Making Namibia a Safer Country for Investment, Tourism and Human Inhabitance through Intensified Crime Prevention Approach'.

Crime has increased in the country by 13 percent from 2000 to 2006. In addition, the country's rate in violent crime is the highest on the African continent.

According to the Namibian Police Deputy Commissioner Gerson Naweseb, the degree in which crimes of violence are committed has also risen.

"Nowadays, women are not only murdered, but their bodies are dismembered or a six-year-old child is raped by her father," he said at a media briefing yesterday.

During the workshop, participants will discuss the types of crime prevention policies, strategies and programmes, which have been implemented on a national, regional, town or municipal council level as well as to formulate and recommend possible future strategies to combat the increasing rate of crime in the country.

The conference also aims to draw emphasis on inter-municipal-local government-community-agency based approaches to crime prevention, which include measures of adopting early intervention and child development approaches to reduce opportunities for crime, as well as preventing criminality.

Conference director, Frederick Simpungwe, yesterday expressed disappointment that so far AVBOB and the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) were the only sponsors despite the fact that the combating of crime required national efforts.

"Maybe it is the way they view crime, maybe it is not that important to them. All companies that value human rights should sponsor this conference," he said.

Experts from countries with low crime rates such as Botswana, Tanzania and Mali will also share their experiences, while President Hifikepunye Pohamba will preside over the opening of the conference and Prime Minister Nahas Angula the closing.

Key officials from the following sectors are encouraged to attend the workshop: municipalities, town councils and regional council officers; Namibian policy and lawmakers; police and emergency services officers; justice professional and criminologists; human rights organisations; youth organisations and workers; education professionals and academics; health authorities and professionals; community leaders and agencies; and social workers and national and non-governmental organisations.