Drivers in motorcade crash charged

BOTH drivers – a Police officer and a civilian – whose vehicles plunged into the sea ahead of the President’s motorcade near Swakopmund last week are facing a charge of reckless and negligent driving.

Chief Inspector Tobias Gerber of the Erongo Police acted as a ‘sweeper’ for President Hifikepunye Pohamba’s motorcade last week.Gerber’s Police bakkie hit the Mercedes Benz that Albertine Povanhu (26) was driving and both vehicles crashed through a barrier and plunged about two metres down an embankment onto the beach.Povanhu’s sister, Maria (22), and a friend, David Elia (37), were also in the car when the accident happened. No one was seriously injured.The President was on his way to the commissioning of Areva’s desalination plant just north of Wlotzkasbaken.The Namibian learned that an internal Police investigation was launched into the matter, headed by the unit commander of Internal Investigations, Chief Inspector Frieda Immanuel.Approached for comment, Immanuel told The Namibian yesterday that she was ‘just very happy that all the victims were all alive and well’. She dismissed rumours that Gerber was in a serious condition in a Windhoek hospital.Immanuel confirmed the internal investigation ‘because a Police officer is involved’ and added that the State had laid a charge of reckless and negligent driving against both drivers.’It is now up to the Prosecutor General to decide what happens next. We are still busy with our investigation though,’ she said.The acting Commissioner of the Erongo Police, Deputy Commissioner Andrew Iyam-bo, said the matter was being investigated. Asked whether the convoy co-ordinators would be implicated in the investigation, Iyambo asked: ‘Why?’’It is between the two drivers. The sweeper is appointed to do a job, and he was involved in an accident. The sweeper is like a broom sweeping the road clean for its master. If the broom brakes, it’s not the master’s fault,’ he said.He said the law requires civilian road users to pull off the road when the President’s motorcade approaches.’A sweeper goes ahead of the cavalcade and makes sure road users respect this law. In order to get their attention, the sweeper will use his headlights, siren-lights and siren,’ he said.The Namibian also spoke to Albertine Povanhu yesterday.According to her, she was taking her sister to Swakopmund for a job interview and was travelling within the speed limit.’There was no sign of the President being on the road, and I also did not notice a Police vehicle behind me flashing lights or anything,’ she said.Povanhu said she had just overtaken a truck and that was the only vehicle she could see in her rear-view mirror.’The next thing I saw was the Police vehicle next to me. It bumped into my side. David shouted for me to slam on the brakes, and at the same time I saw the Police car going over the front of my car before falling onto it. The bakkie rolled off the wall and we went through the railings,’ she said.’There was smoke. My sister smashed out the windscreen, so we could get out. We were scared the car was going to blow,’ she said.’I did not even notice the President going past us,’ she said.Povanhu later wanted to lay a charge against the Police but according to her, they would not allow her to do so.’They told me that someone else had already laid a charge against the Police driver, and that the matter was being investigated by Immanuel,’ she said. ‘We’ll just have to see what the outcome is. We are happy to be alive. We could have been dead. I just can’t understand why the President’s convoy has to exaggerate like this. ‘They should at least have indicated that the President was going to come past, but there was no indication.’