Family claims Police laxity in ‘murder’ case

THE family of a Grootfontein resident who was allegedly murdered in 2005 have expressed frustration with the Police, who they claim have refused to bring his alleged killers to justice.

Edward Shamandjolo (49) was employed at the Namibia Defence Force’s Grootfontein military base when, on February 28 2005, he was allegedly assaulted by two women over money he owed them. According to his daughter, Lavinia, who spoke to The Namibian from the United Kingdom this week, Shamandjolo had tried to reason with his creditors to pay them the next day, but they would have nothing of it.”They just started beating him up,” she said, adding that her father was immediately taken to the military hospital at the base.Shamandjolo remained in hospital at Grootfontein until March 4 that year, when he was transferred to Windhoek’s Katutura State hospital.He died there the next day.Records at the Windhoek State mortuary suggest that he died of “pulmonary oedema”, a condition caused by a swelling or accumulation of fluids in the lungs which may ultimately lead to respiratory failure.According to the family, they had reported the assault on Shamandjolo to the Police station in Grootfontein, as well as to the military police at the base he worked at.The family were not able to provide The Namibian with the case number of the charges they laid, saying that they were never given a copy of this.Following Shamandjolo’s funeral, his family say they returned to the Police to find out what had happened to the case they had made earlier, and were simply told that the file had gone missing.The family claim that one of the women suspected of attacking Shamandjolo had been romantically involved with a Police officer at the station, and this is why the case went nowhere.The Grootfontein Police station commander, Inspector Amon Ndilula, when contacted about the case, said he was aware of the family’s complaints.He said although he remembered having spoken to the upset family, there was no trace of a case laid by them following Shamandjolo’s alleged assault.”They haven’t even been able to provide a case number.There is no record of such a case being laid,” he said yesterday.He added, however, that he would continue looking into the matter.According to his daughter, Lavinia, who spoke to The Namibian from the United Kingdom this week, Shamandjolo had tried to reason with his creditors to pay them the next day, but they would have nothing of it.”They just started beating him up,” she said, adding that her father was immediately taken to the military hospital at the base.Shamandjolo remained in hospital at Grootfontein until March 4 that year, when he was transferred to Windhoek’s Katutura State hospital.He died there the next day.Records at the Windhoek State mortuary suggest that he died of “pulmonary oedema”, a condition caused by a swelling or accumulation of fluids in the lungs which may ultimately lead to respiratory failure.According to the family, they had reported the assault on Shamandjolo to the Police station in Grootfontein, as well as to the military police at the base he worked at.The family were not able to provide The Namibian with the case number of the charges they laid, saying that they were never given a copy of this.Following Shamandjolo’s funeral, his family say they returned to the Police to find out what had happened to the case they had made earlier, and were simply told that the file had gone missing.The family claim that one of the women suspected of attacking Shamandjolo had been romantically involved with a Police officer at the station, and this is why the case went nowhere.The Grootfontein Police station commander, Inspector Amon Ndilula, when contacted about the case, said he was aware of the family’s complaints.He said although he remembered having spoken to the upset family, there was no trace of a case laid by them following Shamandjolo’s alleged assault.”They haven’t even been able to provide a case number.There is no record of such a case being laid,” he said yesterday.He added, however, that he would continue looking into the matter.