Issues About Roadblocks

I WOULD like to express my dissatisfaction towards the way my friends and I were treated on Sunday the 25th of February.

As a Namibian citizen, in a democratic country, my friends and I decided to go to Daan Viljoen Dam on Friday the 24th of February. Our trouble started on our way back from Daan Viljoen on Sunday at around 14h00.Arriving at the roadblock between Windhoek and Daan Viljoen, after a fabulous weekend, was the least of our worries, since it was routine for the officer in charge to make sure everything was satisfactory.Our vehicle was stopped and the officer looked inside the vehicle and wanted to know whose bags were at the back, in the boot.We answered, but that was not enough.He ordered my boyfriend to get out of the vehicle and open his bag.In the meantime the vehicle behind ours was stopped, the driver’s driving licence was checked and was allowed to proceed.They also had bags in their car.I know that because they were part of our group.Meanwhile the officer started searching my boyfriend’s bag, taking out clothing.We asked if that was procedure, and he shouted that we shouldn’t teach him how to do his job.The search continued and he came across tablets that belonged to my boyfriend’s brother.The officer asked what the tablets were for, and he was answered.If these were illegal drugs, he should have recognised them as such, since that is part of his job description.The situation now got out of hand.The officer started shouting that he needed the ID of the owner of the tablets.The owner said his ID was in Windhoek.The officer alleged that it could be illegal drugs, and at that stage got verbally abusive.After some time, three other officers arrived and the situation was defused.One of the officers identified the tablets and we were free to go.My problem here is: if a Police officer cannot differentiate between medicine for high blood pressure and illegal drugs, what are they doing at roadblocks harassing people? Why don’t they use the same routine for every motorist? Why harass us, the innocent motorist, and point guns at us, while the real criminals may have passed in another vehicle.This is unacceptable.Imagine how tourists react to this kind of treatment.Or maybe it just happened to us.What happened to search warrants, or asking civilly? I hope this article will serve as a warning to other people that they must look out for rude officers like these and ask for their name and rank.Namibians are proud people and we should not be embarrassed like this in our own country! Anonymous WindhoekOur trouble started on our way back from Daan Viljoen on Sunday at around 14h00.Arriving at the roadblock between Windhoek and Daan Viljoen, after a fabulous weekend, was the least of our worries, since it was routine for the officer in charge to make sure everything was satisfactory.Our vehicle was stopped and the officer looked inside the vehicle and wanted to know whose bags were at the back, in the boot.We answered, but that was not enough.He ordered my boyfriend to get out of the vehicle and open his bag.In the meantime the vehicle behind ours was stopped, the driver’s driving licence was checked and was allowed to proceed.They also had bags in their car.I know that because they were part of our group.Meanwhile the officer started searching my boyfriend’s bag, taking out clothing.We asked if that was procedure, and he shouted that we shouldn’t teach him how to do his job.The search continued and he came across tablets that belonged to my boyfriend’s brother.The officer asked what the tablets were for, and he was answered.If these were illegal drugs, he should have recognised them as such, since that is part of his job description.The situation now got out of hand.The officer started shouting that he needed the ID of the owner of the tablets.The owner said his ID was in Windhoek.The officer alleged that it could be illegal drugs, and at that stage got verbally abusive.After some time, three other officers arrived and the situation was defused.One of the officers identified the tablets and we were free to go.My problem here is: if a Police officer cannot differentiate between medicine for high blood pressure and illegal drugs, what are they doing at roadblocks harassing people? Why don’t they use the same routine for every motorist? Why harass us, the innocent motorist, and point guns at us, while the real criminals may have passed in another vehicle.This is unacceptable.Imagine how tourists react to this kind of treatment.Or maybe it just happened to us.What happened to search warrants, or asking civilly? I hope this article will serve as a warning to other people that they must look out for rude officers like these and ask for their name and rank.Namibians are proud people and we should not be embarrassed like this in our own country! Anonymous Windhoek