The SAAF Forum

Task forces

...Nghipandua said that task forces comprising members of the army, air force, navy, police, correctional services and other law enforcement bodies had been deployed.

A joint operation centre in Walvis Bay was also established to ensure that lockdown measures are adhered to.

“Task Force 01 is divided into groups that operate in Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, Henties Bay, Arandis and on the C14, while Task Force 02 covers the Karibib and Omaruru area. The operation concentrates on street patrols, sporadic check points and off-shore patrols aimed at controlling the movement of people.”

Impounded Chinese Fishing Vessels released

Navy Commander Rear Admiral Sinsy Ndeshi Bamba Nghipandua informed the media today that the six Chinese flagged fishing vessels that were impounded by the Navy on 26 March are now free to leave as the investigation have found no evidence of them violating marine resources act or maritime traffic act.
He said these vessels were impounded due to some suspicious movement of speed slowing down (in the fishing area) and switching of their Automatic Identification System (AIS) off, while on the area.
Navy Commander said upon enquiry, the skippers said they had no intention to conduct fishing but they just anchored due to a seven-day bad weather warning they received and had taken sanctuary there to wait for the situation to improve.
Navy Commander explained these vessels had to be moved to harbor for thorough investigation, because the bad weather warning they claimed to have received could have been received by the Navy also.
“At first they refused to cooperate and wanted otherwise to just proceed with their way to China, however after coercive diplomacy by the task unit, they subdued to the Navy order and accepted to be escorted to Walvis Bay,” he said.
Admiral Nghipandua said these vessels were searched by the Boarding Investigation and Verification team on the 28-29 March.
The team was comprised of members from the Navy, NAMPOL, Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Ministry of Works and Transport Directorate of Maritime Affairs, to determine if there was any illegal conduct or violation of the rules of the sea and to confirm the fishing operations they allegedly have been conducting in Angolan water and that of Equatorial Guinea.
He said the findings indicated that stowage of their fishing gears revealed no recent fishing activities in Namibia, all vessels’ names are written in small letters less than a metre, making them less visible from a distance, which contradicts with international maritime law and they have no call sign numbers.
He added that the vessels have discrepancies on their crew lists and their passports were not stamped in the countries they claimed to have been fishing.
Navy commander said beside discrepancies, there were no other suspicions, therefore they had to be released.

... speed slowing down (in the fishing area) and switching of their Automatic Identification System (AIS) off, while on the area.
Navy Commander said upon enquiry, the skippers said they had no intention to conduct fishing but they just anchored due to a seven-day bad weather warning ...

Sure, right, I believe you, now pull the other one!

Still, this Covid-19 situation is going to stretch the resources of all countries.

Windhoek, 05 April 2020: Service Chiefs visit and support security members in Operation Curb Covid-19 in Khomas Region.

Mobile field hospital set up at airport
THE ministry of health, in collaboration with the defence ministry, has set up a 20-roomed mobile field hospital outside of the Hosea Kutako International Airport.

The hospital was moved from the Okahandja military base to accommodate suspected coronavirus victims, and to allow for immediate treatment when detected at the international airport.

The hospital was set up last Wednesday. It has a ward with 18 beds, an intensive care unit with two beds, a pre-theatre reception with one stretcher and a casualty department with four stretchers.

The Namibia Defence Force (NDF) has dispatched its Mobile Field Hospital Level 2 to Walvis Bay to reinforce the quarantine facilities.
Following an increase in the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases in the Erongo Region, the NDF decided to redeploy 27 military personnel based at Hosea Kutako International Airport to Walvis Bay.