Tanzanian stowaways go on a hunger strike

TWO more Tanzanian stowaways have been found hiding on the vessel Blue Sky, bringing to seven the number of stowaways arrested at Walvis Bay since last week.

The Namibian has learned that the group has gone on a hunger strike. The seven are sharing a cell at the Narraville Police station.According to Chief Inspector Johannes Hamman, they are “a difficult bunch”.”They refused to eat the food that we gave them, swearing at us and saying that it was not even fit for a dog to eat,” a policeman said, adding that one of the stowaways had to be admitted to hospital on Sunday because of his “hunger pangs”.It is expected that the illegal immigrants will have to be held in custody for up to a month until Namibian immigration authorities can negotiate their deportation with the Tanzanian Embassy in South Africa.The reason for the delay is that there is no Tanzanian embassy in Namibia.According to Police officers, the seven stowaways’ condition was horrendous.”They were dirty and hungry and it looked like they were dragged through a greasy machine,” one officer said, adding that the men had been hiding on the vessel for five days since it left port in Cape Town.The names of the two men that were found later are Hussein Ibrahim Mohamedhi Janga (18) and Khaudi Kaseka Abdallah Mpwag (26).The first five were identified as Ally Abdul (31), Ahimedi Yusuphu (18), Rayabu Marisho (21), Athuman Abdalah Hassan (22) and Mohammed Jamal (24).The seven are sharing a cell at the Narraville Police station.According to Chief Inspector Johannes Hamman, they are “a difficult bunch”.”They refused to eat the food that we gave them, swearing at us and saying that it was not even fit for a dog to eat,” a policeman said, adding that one of the stowaways had to be admitted to hospital on Sunday because of his “hunger pangs”. It is expected that the illegal immigrants will have to be held in custody for up to a month until Namibian immigration authorities can negotiate their deportation with the Tanzanian Embassy in South Africa.The reason for the delay is that there is no Tanzanian embassy in Namibia.According to Police officers, the seven stowaways’ condition was horrendous.”They were dirty and hungry and it looked like they were dragged through a greasy machine,” one officer said, adding that the men had been hiding on the vessel for five days since it left port in Cape Town.The names of the two men that were found later are Hussein Ibrahim Mohamedhi Janga (18) and Khaudi Kaseka Abdallah Mpwag (26).The first five were identified as Ally Abdul (31), Ahimedi Yusuphu (18), Rayabu Marisho (21), Athuman Abdalah Hassan (22) and Mohammed Jamal (24).