Selma Ikela
WINDHOEK – The City Police are to engage the parents of eight youngsters between the ages of 15 and 21 who are allegedly involved in criminal activities such as theft, robbery and prostitution in Ombili. The group is called Skim Tumba and allegedly collaborates with Kwateni Omunona, an infamous gang in the informal settlement that robs people in Greenwell Matongo.
The City Police rounded up Skim Tumba members during an operation on Tuesday evening. The police said criminal activities are high in zone one which covers areas Havana, Hakahana, Okuryangava, Ombili and other informal settlements.
According to City Police Senior Superintendent Gerry Shikesho, Skim Tumba targets people at bars by robbing them between 22:00 and 04:00 the next morning and if ‘business’ is not going well they can be busy up to 06:00.
“You can’t believe what these children do at night, they are doing everything – robberies, drugs and prostitution,” said Shikesho.
Shikesho said they will engage their parents and if need be refer the children to other institutions such as social workers. “One very disturbing factor is these girls have turned to ‘half prostitution’. When they see an elderly person having a good time they will introduce themselves, make an advance and when it’s time to go home the boys will be standing outside, emerge from nowhere to attack the victim and rob him, “ said Shikesho. The police rounded up the group for profiling because they have a lot of unsolved cases in which suspects are unknown and profiling will help them.
Shikesho said the group claims to be school-goers but he wonders what happened to their parents because the children are supposed to stay at home doing their homework, yet they are in the streets and shebeens till four or six in the morning.
“It is a very disturbing development because they are youngsters and [people are] waiting for them to graduate but in fact they are serious robbers because the girls will have knives while the boys carry pangas. It is very serious and we from the City Police are serious about this and want to make sure peace is restored.”