Following an article in todays Namibian(Front page news per say), It transpires that the City Police committed a gross crime today by locking up street children as little as six yrs old. What is wrong with our society? in another case recently a 12 yr old was locked up, coz of food theft(hungry kid if u don mind), whatever happened to community service?This is a disaster, as it is a definate recipe for producing hardcore criminals instead looking for better ways to solve petty crimes, while defrauders of millions of tax payers money are free as birds. Anyway,the Mayor of the City of WHK stated that the issue is apparently enjoying priority while he awaits some report from relevant respondents(needless to say this does not solve the problem of the kids having to spent their weekend in jail). I believe that it seems to the city police to respect the so called legal contravention of the City's by laws, but entirely disregard the human rights of already adversely effected street children and commiting the gross human rights enfringement by locking up minors. I thought minors are incapacitated to sign for e.g. contracts, so is it no logical that such minors cannot be held responsible for apparently violating so called by laws? City police further blamed the ministry of social services for not assisting in finding a solution to the street child syndrome. they claim when they round up these kids for stealing food and other petty crimes comitted, they establish a 'criminal' record for these kids, hence the record warrants the arrests mentioned. I wonder in which court of law these records were confirmed? even so for someone who has a so called record, the police can only arrest where there are grounds for a crime committed and I trust simply being orphaned and consequently homeless can never render a person a criminal. Our society is so ready to assist flood victims, who at least comprise of some percentage of adults up north(innitiative from private sector), but can seemingly never solve the plight of the street kids. Your opinions please!!!

It is an outrage, Juikk - an absolute outrage and a sign how incompetent and impotent our authorities are when dealing with street children. I can understand that resources are limited, and that stret children generally are a challenge to deal with. But putting them in jail? What is that all about? Even street children have a right to be protected from adults, and the Polic has an obligation to PROTECT them, not CRIMINALISE them. I'mlooking forward to the results of the investigaiton, but mroe importantly: I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SOMEONE ACTUALLY TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

Take the guys who did and lock in there as well!!! A taste of their own medicine!!!!!! A teaspoon of corruption makes the medicine go down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!