Political tension erupts into violence

THE Ondangwa Police are investigating an incident in which RDP member Vilho Hamunyela had to defend himself with a shotgun when his car was stoned by an angry mob, allegedly Swapo supporters, at Ondangwa on Sunday evening.

According to Oshana Police Liaison Officer Sergeant Jonas Matheus, nobody has been arrested yet. Hamunyela has laid charges of intimidation, common assault, assault by threat and malicious damage to property.Sergeant Matheus said a charge of discharging a firearm in a municipal area was being investigated against Hamunyela.Hamunyela told The Namibian that he and four other RDP members were returning from the RDP rally at Omuthiya on Sunday evening when they noticed a group of people carrying a Swapo flag in the middle of the road.He stopped and the mob allegedly charged him, throwing stones at his car and beating him and his passengers.They broke his car’s windscreen and torn the RDP flag he was flying, he said.Hamunyela said he had no other option but to take out his shotgun and fire shots in the air to scare them away.”After I fired in the air, the mob dispersed.The Police also arrived at the scene and started to investigate,” he said.Reports have it that Swapo members staged a prolonged street protest after their political rally addressed by the party’s Secretary General, Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, at Ongwediva on the same day.They allegedly targeted cars of RDP supporters returning from their election campaign rally held at Omuthiya.The protesters’ cars blocked traffic between Oshakati and Ondangwa and the Police had to order them to disperse.On Saturday President Hifikepunye Pohamba addressed a Swapo rally at Omuthiya, where he called RDP leaders traitors “like Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus Christ”.Many people in the North believe that the increasing tension and confrontations between ordinary party members were being fuelled by hate speech made by political leaders at rallies.Hamunyela has laid charges of intimidation, common assault, assault by threat and malicious damage to property.Sergeant Matheus said a charge of discharging a firearm in a municipal area was being investigated against Hamunyela.Hamunyela told The Namibian that he and four other RDP members were returning from the RDP rally at Omuthiya on Sunday evening when they noticed a group of people carrying a Swapo flag in the middle of the road.He stopped and the mob allegedly charged him, throwing stones at his car and beating him and his passengers.They broke his car’s windscreen and torn the RDP flag he was flying, he said.Hamunyela said he had no other option but to take out his shotgun and fire shots in the air to scare them away.”After I fired in the air, the mob dispersed.The Police also arrived at the scene and started to investigate,” he said.Reports have it that Swapo members staged a prolonged street protest after their political rally addressed by the party’s Secretary General, Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, at Ongwediva on the same day.They allegedly targeted cars of RDP supporters returning from their election campaign rally held at Omuthiya.The protesters’ cars blocked traffic between Oshakati and Ondangwa and the Police had to order them to disperse.On Saturday President Hifikepunye Pohamba addressed a Swapo rally at Omuthiya, where he called RDP leaders traitors “like Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus Christ”.Many people in the North believe that the increasing tension and confrontations between ordinary party members were being fuelled by hate speech made by political leaders at rallies.