WINDHOEK – Young entrepreneur and Namibia Breweries Limited (NBL)’s 2014 business ambassador, Michael Amushelelo, was on Thursday last week sentenced to two years in jail for manslaughter.
Amushelelo, an unlicensed driver, was found guilty of driving without a licence and causing an accident in 2010 due to overspeeding. One person died in the accident and another got paralysed.
The 24-year-old Amushelelo is a young businessman, motivational speaker, mentor and a social activist.
He is the founder and Executive Chairman of Amushe Inc and a Windhoek Lager Ambassador winner.
Magistrate Helvi Shilemba of the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court sentenced Amushelelo to 30 months in prison for manslaughter.
The charges relate to a fatal accident that occurred on the evening of April 26, 2010,
when Amushelelo was speeding along Windhoek’s Florence Nightingale Street, behind the Windhoek Central Hospital killing one of the passengers and paralysing another.
He faced a charge of culpable homicide on the vehicle accident, for which he was sentenced to two years.
For the second count of driving without a driver’s licence, he was fined N$2 000 or, in default of payment, six months in prisonment.
New Era learned that he plans to appeal against the sentence.
Amushelelo was Windhoek Lager business ambassador for 2014, having competed against the likes of mining construction legend and football titan Johnny Doeseb.
The Windhoek Lager Ambassador is an initiative by Namibia Breweries Limited (NBL), a subsidiary of the Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group of Companies.
Amushelelo’s first business attempt occurred during primary school when he tripled the sales volumes of his mother’s lollipop business by also selling them at school. He was to earn the ‘Stockie’ nickname because of selling sweets.
“My passion for business comes from wanting to succeed in all that I endeavour and playing my part in the realisation of the Namibian dream. The Government of the Republic of Namibia is deeply concerned about the high and persistent unemployment rate, especially among the young unskilled segment of our nation. Prolonged youth unemployment has far-reaching consequences including shattered dreams, loss of identities and lack of zeal for life in general. Despite many efforts aimed at creating sustainable job opportunities for the majority of our citizens, the sad truth is that the unemployment rate continues to escalate,” Amushelelo said when he was crowned Windhoek Lager Business Ambassador.