THE soldier charged over the fatal shooting of a Zimbabwean taxi driver in Windhoek nearly two weeks ago should be shifted from a police cell to the detention barracks of the Luiperdsvallei Military Base, a Windhoek magistrate ordered yesterday.
Magistrate Olga Likando ordered that Namibian Defence Force soldier Gerson Nakale should be moved to the detention barracks at Luiperdsvallei, where he should remain in custody, when Nakale made an appearance before her in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court in Katutura.
Nakale (38) was arrested on a charge of murder on 13 June, after he had allegedly killed a Zimbabwean citizen, Fambauone ‘Talent’ Black (22), in Windhoek earlier that day by shooting him in the head. The shooting allegedly took place at a mini roadblock erected as part of the anti-crime ‘Operation Kalahari Desert’, in which members of the Namibian military have controversially been deployed on the country’s streets to assist the police.
Black is alleged to have tried to make a U-turn with his taxi to avoid the roadblock before he was shot.
During Nakale’s court appearance yesterday, public prosecutor Edel Uupindi informed the magistrate that the prosecution and Nakale’s defence lawyer, Lindrowski Tibinyane, had agreed he could be transferred from the police holding cells at Hosea Kutako International Airport to the detention barracks at Luiperdsvallei.
Ministry of Defence legal adviser Helena Amutenya told the court that Nakale would be guarded by the NDF’s Military Police 24 hours a day while in the detention barracks, and that his move to the military base would also enable him to receive counselling from NDF social workers and chaplains.
Nakale would not be given preferential treatment, the court was also told.
Magistrate Likando postponed Nakale’s case to 30 July for further investigations to be carried out. With his return to court, it will be considered whether he should be granted bail as well, Uupindi indicated.
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