Unarmed security guards at risk: union

THE Walvis Bay branch of the Namibia Food and Allied Workers Union (Nafau) has lashed out at Police officers at Kuisebmond and security companies that do not arm their black security guards.

The union held a press conference yesterday following the murder of one of its shopstewards who worked at the Hangana fishing company. Fillemon Lazarus (34) was stabbed in the heart at around 21h15 on Saturday.He allegedly asked a man taking a very long time at an ATM machine if he needed assistance.The man turned around and stabbed him in the heart.He tried running to the Police station a few metres away but collapsed on the doorstep and died.Nafau Regional Organiser, Cleopas Ngwena, yesterday called on the Namibian Police to increase its patrols as well as the number of officers on night shift at Kuisebmond.”We condemn this barbaric act of a coward in our community,” said Ngwena.He said since the start of winter, when it gets dark early, an increasing number of cases had been reported to the union of workers who were ambushed by criminals on their way home from the fishing factories.Ngwena charged that the Police at Kuisebmond locked the station at night to sleep inside.He said taxi drivers no longer parked their vehicles there as it was unsafe.”The reluctance of Police officers, who are paid with tax money, deducted from the workers, is not acceptable,” Ngwena said.The security guard on duty at the ATM was unable to help Lazarus as he was not armed.Ngwena claimed that only white guards were given weapons, while black guards were posted to guard buildings at night, putting their lives in danger.”We demand the same treatment for all guards by giving them the same weapons.The whites who drive the patrol cars are equipped with everything,” he charged.Ngwena, who ended the press conference with a “down botsotsos down, down criminals down”, said the only way crime would be stopped was to arm security guards and increase the Police force.The Police on Monday arrested a man in connection with Lazarus’s murder.Fillemon Lazarus (34) was stabbed in the heart at around 21h15 on Saturday.He allegedly asked a man taking a very long time at an ATM machine if he needed assistance.The man turned around and stabbed him in the heart.He tried running to the Police station a few metres away but collapsed on the doorstep and died.Nafau Regional Organiser, Cleopas Ngwena, yesterday called on the Namibian Police to increase its patrols as well as the number of officers on night shift at Kuisebmond.”We condemn this barbaric act of a coward in our community,” said Ngwena.He said since the start of winter, when it gets dark early, an increasing number of cases had been reported to the union of workers who were ambushed by criminals on their way home from the fishing factories.Ngwena charged that the Police at Kuisebmond locked the station at night to sleep inside.He said taxi drivers no longer parked their vehicles there as it was unsafe.”The reluctance of Police officers, who are paid with tax money, deducted from the workers, is not acceptable,” Ngwena said.The security guard on duty at the ATM was unable to help Lazarus as he was not armed.Ngwena claimed that only white guards were given weapons, while black guards were posted to guard buildings at night, putting their lives in danger.”We demand the same treatment for all guards by giving them the same weapons.The whites who drive the patrol cars are equipped with everything,” he charged.Ngwena, who ended the press conference with a “down botsotsos down, down criminals down”, said the only way crime would be stopped was to arm security guards and increase the Police force.The Police on Monday arrested a man in connection with Lazarus’s murder.