Govt ‘must answer on crime’

THE Congress of Democrats (CoD) yesterday demanded that the Minister of Safety and Security, as well as the Inspector General of the Namibian Police, be brought to task for what it calls an uncommitted Police force.

The unsolved murder two weeks ago of a 25-year-old man in the presence of Police officers at Aminuis, and the alleged repeated rape of a 12-year-old boy in the Swakopmund Police cells were just two examples cited by the opposition party as evidence of the Police’s failure in recent months. “There are serious questions hanging in the air regarding the incident at Onderombapu (in the Aminuis Constituency) in which Theboy Hiiho was shot and killed, and the CoD demands immediate answers to these questions,” CoD President Ben Ulenga told a press briefing in Windhoek.Accusations have been made that the Police might be implicated in Hiiho’s shooting, Ulenga said, yet they had stayed silent on the issue.”How on earth can the Police be present when someone is shot, and they fail to determine where the bullet comes from, or even take anyone in for questioning?” CoD Secretary General Kala Gertze added that the Police were often quick to hide behind the excuse that they didn’t have adequate resources.”You don’t need money to search (frisk) a prisoner before locking him up.Police have professional standards and it’s only for them to adhere to those,” he said.Referring to the alleged rape of a 12-year-old boy at Swakopmund at the hands of two trial-awaiting prisoners, the CoD asked: “How do you keep a 12-year-old boy in such circumstances (locked up with adult prisoners), and not take proper care? There is no commitment observed and the person directly responsible is the Minister himself,” Ulenga said.In his opinion, Safety and Security Minister Peter Tsheehama appeared unconcerned about a Ministry showing obvious signs of being in trouble.Asked about the investigation into the Aminuis murder case, investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Filvanus Nghifhidimbwa was unable to report progress yesterday.Nghifhidimbwa and a team were sent to Aminuis shortly after the incident.Nghifhidimbwa confirmed that Police officers had fired shots during the clash between supporters of two Herero traditional authorities at Onderombapu.”Some shots were discharged on the scene from both sides,” he said, and replied in the affirmative when asked whether Police too had fired shots.”There are serious questions hanging in the air regarding the incident at Onderombapu (in the Aminuis Constituency) in which Theboy Hiiho was shot and killed, and the CoD demands immediate answers to these questions,” CoD President Ben Ulenga told a press briefing in Windhoek.Accusations have been made that the Police might be implicated in Hiiho’s shooting, Ulenga said, yet they had stayed silent on the issue.”How on earth can the Police be present when someone is shot, and they fail to determine where the bullet comes from, or even take anyone in for questioning?” CoD Secretary General Kala Gertze added that the Police were often quick to hide behind the excuse that they didn’t have adequate resources.”You don’t need money to search (frisk) a prisoner before locking him up.Police have professional standards and it’s only for them to adhere to those,” he said.Referring to the alleged rape of a 12-year-old boy at Swakopmund at the hands of two trial-awaiting prisoners, the CoD asked: “How do you keep a 12-year-old boy in such circumstances (locked up with adult prisoners), and not take proper care? There is no commitment observed and the person directly responsible is the Minister himself,” Ulenga said.In his opinion, Safety and Security Minister Peter Tsheehama appeared unconcerned about a Ministry showing obvious signs of being in trouble.Asked about the investigation into the Aminuis murder case, investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Filvanus Nghifhidimbwa was unable to report progress yesterday.Nghifhidimbwa and a team were sent to Aminuis shortly after the incident.Nghifhidimbwa confirmed that Police officers had fired shots during the clash between supporters of two Herero traditional authorities at Onderombapu.”Some shots were discharged on the scene from both sides,” he said, and replied in the affirmative when asked whether Police too had fired shots.