Swakop residents urged to stand up and be counted

RESIDENTS at Swakopmund have been urged to take a stand against crime by taking part in a peaceful demonstration today.

The protest, organised by concerned residents, will take place in front of the Magistrate’s Court and will coincide with the second appearance of three suspects in the murder case of Alexandra Mooren (44). Mooren, a German citizen who worked as a master goldsmith at Swakopmund, was shot dead in cold blood on the beach just before 08h00 on Friday, August 13.”We have suffered in silence for too long.The situation has become unacceptable,” said Margit D’Avignon, convenor of the demonstration.She said residents were fed up with the situation.”The time has come that we demand that the full number of Police officers we pay for as taxpayers are deployed at Swakopmund.”Referring to the national Budget which allocated N$752 million for the Police for the 2004-2005 period, D’Avignon described as lame the perennial excuse that there was no money to increase the force.At a meeting called by the Erongo Governor shortly after the murder of Mooren, Chief Inspector Bernhard !Uirab said the current force operating at Swakopmund would have to be doubled to properly serve the community.”The Police are understaffed and probably overworked,” said D’Avignon.”We are paying for that service.So often the business community is called on to assist financially.Why must we pay double or even triple? We are calling on all Swakopmunders to stand together in solidarity on Thursday [today].We will no longer accept being terrorised by criminals.”She said if the number of Police officers that the taxpayers paid for was appointed, the business sector would have no problem in assisting by buying vehicles.D’Avignon noted that a small minority of people were making people live in fear.”People in Mondesa are scared to go out after dark.They dare not leave their children out while women are raped and mugged.”She said the community had reached a point where they were more prepared to speak out publicly.She emphasised that the demonstration was in no way political and that all sectors in the community had been notified about it.The demonstration will start at 09h00 when the three suspects are due to appear.Naftalie Kondja (25), also known as Katjiru Kandonganero, Matti Kamati (35) and Temus Shivolo (31) were arrested on the day of the murder and have been in custody ever since.They were denied bail when they made their first court appearance on Monday, August 16.About 500 people took part in a silent march that day in memory of victims of crime.Mooren, a German citizen who worked as a master goldsmith at Swakopmund, was shot dead in cold blood on the beach just before 08h00 on Friday, August 13.”We have suffered in silence for too long.The situation has become unacceptable,” said Margit D’Avignon, convenor of the demonstration.She said residents were fed up with the situation.”The time has come that we demand that the full number of Police officers we pay for as taxpayers are deployed at Swakopmund.”Referring to the national Budget which allocated N$752 million for the Police for the 2004-2005 period, D’Avignon described as lame the perennial excuse that there was no money to increase the force.At a meeting called by the Erongo Governor shortly after the murder of Mooren, Chief Inspector Bernhard !Uirab said the current force operating at Swakopmund would have to be doubled to properly serve the community.”The Police are understaffed and probably overworked,” said D’Avignon.”We are paying for that service.So often the business community is called on to assist financially.Why must we pay double or even triple? We are calling on all Swakopmunders to stand together in solidarity on Thursday [today].We will no longer accept being terrorised by criminals.”She said if the number of Police officers that the taxpayers paid for was appointed, the business sector would have no problem in assisting by buying vehicles.D’Avignon noted that a small minority of people were making people live in fear.”People in Mondesa are scared to go out after dark.They dare not leave their children out while women are raped and mugged.”She said the community had reached a point where they were more prepared to speak out publicly.She emphasised that the demonstration was in no way political and that all sectors in the community had been notified about it.The demonstration will start at 09h00 when the three suspects are due to appear.Naftalie Kondja (25), also known as Katjiru Kandonganero, Matti Kamati (35) and Temus Shivolo (31) were arrested on the day of the murder and have been in custody ever since.They were denied bail when they made their first court appearance on Monday, August 16.About 500 people took part in a silent march that day in memory of victims of crime.