Two lives lost over a smoke and drink

THE value of a human life became equal to a cigarette and a bottle of liqueur in Windhoek this weekend.

Two people died violently in the capital on Saturday, the Commanding Officer of the Namibian Police’s Public Relations and Liaison Division, Chief Inspector Hieronymus Goraseb, announced yesterday. The one incident was apparently sparked by a quarrel over a cigarette.The other fatal incident resulted from an attempt to steal a bottle of Amarula liqueur.The victim of the alleged fight over a cigarette was 21-year-old Augustinus Klein.He was killed on Saturday at around 10h45 at a property in Katutura’s Omuundi Street when he was assaulted by three men, one of whom hit him with an iron bar, Goraseb said.The three assailants are known, but they fled the scene and were still said to be hiding from the Police yesterday, according to Goraseb.The 31-year-old Weinand Shipanga also died violently in Windhoek on Saturday, Goraseb announced.Shipanga was killed when he was shot in the chest with a 9 mm pistol at Stop and Shop bottle store in Okuryangava between 13h00 and 13h30 on Saturday, Goraseb said.He said Shipanga is claimed to have stolen a bottle of Amarula liqueur from the shop and to have resisted arrest by a security guard who tried to stop him.The guard then allegedly fired the shot that killed him.The guard, aged 23, has been arrested on a charge of murder, Goraseb said.A cemetery at Otjiwarongo also became the scene of a death early on Saturday.According to Goraseb, 16-year-old Herold Bernatius Sawab died at the Tsarats Aibes cemetery at Orwetoveni after he had been stabbed in the chest with a knife.The incident took place at about 02h40 on Saturday.Goraseb said it is alleged that Sawab had first wanted to stab a 17-year-old youth with the knife, but that this person took the knife away from Sawab and then used it to stab him, with fatal results.The 17-year-old was arrested and is in Police custody, Goraseb said.The one incident was apparently sparked by a quarrel over a cigarette.The other fatal incident resulted from an attempt to steal a bottle of Amarula liqueur.The victim of the alleged fight over a cigarette was 21-year-old Augustinus Klein.He was killed on Saturday at around 10h45 at a property in Katutura’s Omuundi Street when he was assaulted by three men, one of whom hit him with an iron bar, Goraseb said.The three assailants are known, but they fled the scene and were still said to be hiding from the Police yesterday, according to Goraseb.The 31-year-old Weinand Shipanga also died violently in Windhoek on Saturday, Goraseb announced.Shipanga was killed when he was shot in the chest with a 9 mm pistol at Stop and Shop bottle store in Okuryangava between 13h00 and 13h30 on Saturday, Goraseb said.He said Shipanga is claimed to have stolen a bottle of Amarula liqueur from the shop and to have resisted arrest by a security guard who tried to stop him.The guard then allegedly fired the shot that killed him.The guard, aged 23, has been arrested on a charge of murder, Goraseb said.A cemetery at Otjiwarongo also became the scene of a death early on Saturday.According to Goraseb, 16-year-old Herold Bernatius Sawab died at the Tsarats Aibes cemetery at Orwetoveni after he had been stabbed in the chest with a knife.The incident took place at about 02h40 on Saturday.Goraseb said it is alleged that Sawab had first wanted to stab a 17-year-old youth with the knife, but that this person took the knife away from Sawab and then used it to stab him, with fatal results.The 17-year-old was arrested and is in Police custody, Goraseb said.