Residents sick and tired of armed robberies, car thefts

ONGWEDIVA residents are up in arms over the recent escalation of armed robberies, burglaries and car thefts at the town.

Several blatant crimes have incensed the community. A group of criminals recently cut the telephone line to the house of Luboni Harris, broke through one of the window’s burglar bars, woke the sleeping Harris family at gunpoint and demanded the keys of the car and money.The thieves made off with the car, N$2 000 and the family’s cell phones.NamPol Liaison Officer Samuel Hamukonda told The Namibian that so far no arrests had been made.In another incident this week, some 12 men – some of them armed with AK47s – stormed into the Kaupa Informal Settlement near the old Ongwediva section and broke into the Found S Young Line Clothing Shop.The robbers got away with a large haul of expensive clothes.The owner of the shop, Elizabeth Nangolo, told The Namibian that goods valued at more than N$20 000 had been stolen.While some of the 12 armed men were raiding her shop, the others allegedly stood guard in front of the other shops to stop shop owners from watching to see what they were doing.”I really suffered a big loss at the hands of these people and hope the Police will get them and bring them to justice,” Nangolo told The Namibian.No arrests have been made so far.Early in March, a company and a resident of Ongwediva had their vehicles stolen although they were recovered later by the Angolan police.Police have warned residents of Ongwediva to be on the alert for ‘botsotsos’.Hamukonda said that car owners should install proper locks on their cars and garages, and should also fence off their houses properly.At present, many Ongwediva car owners are taking their vehicles to the Ongwediva Police Station overnight as they fear they will be stolen or hijacked by armed criminals if they keep them parked at home.A group of criminals recently cut the telephone line to the house of Luboni Harris, broke through one of the window’s burglar bars, woke the sleeping Harris family at gunpoint and demanded the keys of the car and money.The thieves made off with the car, N$2 000 and the family’s cell phones.NamPol Liaison Officer Samuel Hamukonda told The Namibian that so far no arrests had been made.In another incident this week, some 12 men – some of them armed with AK47s – stormed into the Kaupa Informal Settlement near the old Ongwediva section and broke into the Found S Young Line Clothing Shop.The robbers got away with a large haul of expensive clothes.The owner of the shop, Elizabeth Nangolo, told The Namibian that goods valued at more than N$20 000 had been stolen.While some of the 12 armed men were raiding her shop, the others allegedly stood guard in front of the other shops to stop shop owners from watching to see what they were doing.”I really suffered a big loss at the hands of these people and hope the Police will get them and bring them to justice,” Nangolo told The Namibian.No arrests have been made so far.Early in March, a company and a resident of Ongwediva had their vehicles stolen although they were recovered later by the Angolan police.Police have warned residents of Ongwediva to be on the alert for ‘botsotsos’.Hamukonda said that car owners should install proper locks on their cars and garages, and should also fence off their houses properly.At present, many Ongwediva car owners are taking their vehicles to the Ongwediva Police Station overnight as they fear they will be stolen or hijacked by armed criminals if they keep them parked at home.