Bloody weekend at Keetmans

VIOLENT crimes fuelled by alcohol abuse hit Keetmanshoop hard over the weekend.

On Monday, Nampol’s Chief Inspector Nicky Nampala confirmed to The Namibian that two men were murdered in separate incidents. According to Nampala, Laurencius Paulsen (23) was stabbed in the chest with a sharp object and died instantly.Efraim Nduililo (19) was arrested in connection with the stabbing, which took place at Groenliggies Bar in the town’s Kroenlein residential area on Saturday.It is also reported that a man believed to be in his forties was found dead at a rubbish dump five kilometres outside town.The man was identified as Johannes Williams.The Police suspect foul play.Nampala said Williams had head injuries and bloodstained clothes.On Friday evening, Franklin Swartbooi (21) was shot in his knee at a shebeen in the town’s Noordhoek residential area.Mathias Shikongo (31) was arrested in connection with the shooting.Regional Police Commander Josephat Abel yesterday expressed concern over the spate of violent crimes, adding that alcohol played an important role in most of them.The regional commander took a swipe at local shebeen owners, claiming that they partly contributed to alcohol abuse by operating after legal trading hours.”The Police would not hesitate to revoke liquor licences if anyone is found operating outside the trading hours,” he warned.Abel condemned the granting of special liquor licences to shebeen owners and called on the Liquor Board to review the licence criteria.”I cannot understand why special licences are issued to shebeens to operate until the early hours,” he said.Abel also shot down reports in a weekly newspaper on an alleged tribal clash between Nama and Oshiwambo-speaking people at the town.He said the recent fight had nothing to do with tribalism, as it broke out between the parents of children playing in a soccer match.According to Nampala, Laurencius Paulsen (23) was stabbed in the chest with a sharp object and died instantly.Efraim Nduililo (19) was arrested in connection with the stabbing, which took place at Groenliggies Bar in the town’s Kroenlein residential area on Saturday.It is also reported that a man believed to be in his forties was found dead at a rubbish dump five kilometres outside town.The man was identified as Johannes Williams.The Police suspect foul play.Nampala said Williams had head injuries and bloodstained clothes.On Friday evening, Franklin Swartbooi (21) was shot in his knee at a shebeen in the town’s Noordhoek residential area.Mathias Shikongo (31) was arrested in connection with the shooting.Regional Police Commander Josephat Abel yesterday expressed concern over the spate of violent crimes, adding that alcohol played an important role in most of them.The regional commander took a swipe at local shebeen owners, claiming that they partly contributed to alcohol abuse by operating after legal trading hours.”The Police would not hesitate to revoke liquor licences if anyone is found operating outside the trading hours,” he warned.Abel condemned the granting of special liquor licences to shebeen owners and called on the Liquor Board to review the licence criteria.”I cannot understand why special licences are issued to shebeens to operate until the early hours,” he said.Abel also shot down reports in a weekly newspaper on an alleged tribal clash between Nama and Oshiwambo-speaking people at the town.He said the recent fight had nothing to do with tribalism, as it broke out between the parents of children playing in a soccer match.