Kunene: A group of police reservists in the Kunene Region have accused the Namibian Police Force (NamPol) of discriminatory practices in its recruitment process. According to Namibia Press Agency, the group in a memorandum of demand shared with Nampa on Monday described how nine Kunene police reservists, as well as members of the Women and Men Network, were passed over for outsiders during the January 2024 enlistment process. "As concerned citizens and advocates for fairness and transparency, we believe it is imperative to address what we perceive to be discrepancies and unfair practices in the selection process," the letter reads. Among the pressing concerns voiced was their education level, with the bulk of them having only Grade 9 while the force requires Grade 12 graduates. "When it comes to recruitment, we were asked to present our Grade 12 results or certificates, which we don't have… Why do they ask for these results when all these years we have been doing the same work as the permanent force members? So they don't trust us for enlistment but only as reservists, where we gain nothing?" they questioned. They claimed that the letter was also sent to the regional commander, James Nderura, but they did not receive a response. Contacted for comment, Nderura stated that reservist duties are voluntary and does not mean automatic enlistment into the force. "Being a reservist is voluntary, that is why we request volunteers to be employed somewhere before joining the force as there is no guarantee that they will be employed," he stated. Regarding the allegations of unjust selection, Nderura indicated that station commanders are responsible for suggesting reservist members to the force recruitment process, which he believes has been fair. He said the police recruitment procedure is based on specific requirements and they cannot minimize these requirements unless advised otherwise by the head of the authority.