Inside job suspected in Katima Mulilo Town Council fire, break-ins

The Zambezi police say their investigations into two break-ins and a fire incident at the Katima Mulilo Town Council office indicate that it is an inside job.

The Katima Mulilo Town Council offices had another break-in incident over the weekend, a month after the first break-in attempt on 29 September.

On 24 October, the town council’s registry office was damaged by a fire whose origin remains unknown.

The blaze extensively damaged numerous documents pertaining to the town property.

Regional police spokesperson inspector Kisco Sitali told The Namibian yesterday that the second break-in incident happened on Saturday.

He said it was alleged that two suspects cut the boundary fence wire to gain entrance into the premises and then continued to cut the corrugated iron sheets and the ceiling.

“They gained entrance into the planning department office, finance and the cash hall, whereby one computer unit was stolen. Furthermore, a laptop was severely destroyed and left behind. The value of the stolen goods and damages is not yet determined. Investigations will continue,” he said.

According to Sitali, no one has been arrested in the two prior cases, and they still do not have any leads into Saturday’s break-in.

“We can confirm the allegations of an inside job. However, we appeal to anyone with information regarding the cases to come forward,” he said.

The town council’s spokesperson, Chrispin Muyoba, told The Namibian yesterday that the computer that was stolen was for the evaluation section, while the laptop that was damaged was for the properties department.

He added that they have fired the security company because these incidents all happened while they were guarding the premises.

“We had to change the security company because these incidents happened three times while they were on duty. Hence, we can no longer continue with their services,” he said.

Last week, urban and rural development minister James Sankwasa alleged that the fire incident and break-in attempt at the council were an inside job done to destroy evidence of maladministration in land deals.

He also alleged that the security company that was guarding the office building did not have a contract with the council.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.