Two more Katutura residents hit with fines over waste dumping at municipal office

Two more residents from Katutura were hit with fines after they were allegedly caught in a video involving the dumping of waste at the municipal office in Windhoek a week ago.

The residents were allegedly seen alongside a group of eight other residents dumping waste to express disapproval of city officials ignoring pleas to improve sewage removal in the area.

One of the fined residents, Evian Pieters, on Friday told The Namibian he was not part of the group and only watched them.

Pieters was charged for willfully siting, lying or standing or congregating to obstruct traffic (N$1 000), willfully and negligently causing obstruction in public space (N$1 000), willfully and negligently causing obstruction in public space by congregating with other people (N$1 000), committing indecent gestures (N$1 000), throwing/spilling/droping waste (N$750), creating public nuisance by shouting or fighting (N$1 000) and creating public nuisance by behaving in a violent or unseemly manner (N$1 000).

“It is clear in the video that I did not throw waste nor engage the media. They just fined me because I am one of those that have been challenging the municipality,” he said.

He added that he will not pay any fine but will challenge the Windhoek City Police in court on 18 November.

Community activists Shaun Gariseb, who led the action and was also fined, on Friday confirmed that only eight people engaged in the act, including him. He added that Pieters was not part of the group.

“We were only eight, the rest of the people were bystanders. Pieters was one of those people, he was not part of us, he just came to watch,” he said.

City police spokesperson Marcelline Murapo, however, says if the residents were not part of the group, a court date has been set and they can contest in court.

“They can go to court and say they were not part of the group in front of the magistrate,” she says.

The second resident’s identity has not been revealed.

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