OMUTHIYA – The family of a University of Namibia (Unam) student who was allegedly murdered through assault during December last year in Katima Mulilo has expressed concern over the police’s handling of the matter.
The family is accusing the police of delaying investigations from the moment Anton Kwizi was lying unconscious near a bar in Katima Mulilo. The police, who were patrolling the area at the time, discovered the victim before rushing him to hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Kwizi was due to graduate from Unam’s Katima Mulilo campus later this year. According to the deceased’s grandfather, Jerry Simasiku, the police failed to check on the victim since dropping him at the hospital, neither did they conduct preliminary investigations to establish who might have assaulted him.
Family members only learned of his death on 28 December after embarking on his search.
“The police picked up the deceased, but found him unconscious and half naked – we thank them for that. However, they failed in their duty to check on the patient after leaving him at the hospital. Had they done that, they would have been able to know what he died from,” said Simasiku.
Furthermore, Simasiku said, even after they had reported the matter, the police only started getting statements from family members last week, leading to the opening of a murder case.
Meanwhile, Zambezi police regional crime investigation coordinator Evan Simasiku said he is aware of the murder case and urged the family to remain calm as such cases are complex and require sufficient time to investigate.
“The family should not interfere with police investigations – the matter is with us and we are handling it.
“This is not a direct case; it is a murder case, which is complex – hence, it requires us to do thorough investigations so that all elements can be included and all loopholes be exhausted when we submit the case to the prosecutor-general for prosecution,” stated Evans Simasiku.