Family to sue Govt for prison death

THE family of Eddy /Gomxob (33), who was killed in the Windhoek Central Prison, wants to sue the Ministry of Safety and Security for N$900 000 in connection with his death.

In a statement, the family and and organisation called Light to the Captive of Namibia say: ‘The tragic circumstances surrounding the demise of Eddy /Gomxob, an inmate who died while in incarceration in the Windhoek Central Prison, have left us in trepidation.’Light to the Captive says it is a non-profit organisation advocating for fair but firm treatment of inmates in Namibian prisons.’While some sectors of society may perceive his death as good riddance in light of his criminal record, to us and his relatives, his passing away is but one of numerous indicators that the country’s jail cells are seemingly not meant for the rehabilitation of perpetrators of violent crimes, but that they are in truth the death sentence incognito,’ the statement reads.According to the organisation and the family, it has come to their attention that /Gomxob’s death could have been avoided. ‘We are reliably informed that in December, the deceased was involved in a physical fight with one of the inmates, Benedictus Afrikaner. The matter was brought to the attention of prison officials, but no charges were pressed against either of the two.’/Gomxob’s grandmother, Evangeline /Gomxos, says: ‘I understand that my child may have committed a crime, but he wasn’t sent to prison so that he can go and die there.’At the time of his death, /Gomxob had spent ten years in prison.Upon enquiry yesterday afternoon, Nangolo Mbumba, the Minister of Safety and Security, said he was in a meeting at State House and could not respond to questions.Prisons Deputy Commissioner Tuhafeni Hangula said: ‘If the family wants to sue the Ministry of Safety and Security or Correctional Services, it is their prerogative to do so.’However, he said, he would advise the family to first approach the authorities ‘so that we can sit around a table and solve the issue without involving the courts. It would be premature for them to involve the courts, [while they could] find out what we have in place to avoid such incidents.’According to him, an investigation was launched after the incident in January to determine whether any Prison official was negligent.Apart from Afrikaner, Rukero Herman and Malaechi Seibeb are accused of stabbing /Gomxob to death with sharpened metal brackets.It is alleged that a love affair gone bad between the four men resulted in /Gomxob’s death.Since the incident, the men have been kept in solitary confinement.Last week, their case was postponed to August 15 for further Police investigation.