WINDHOEK – Namibian winner of reality television show Big Brother Africa ‘The Chase’, Dillish Mathews, and her fellow contestant Maria Nepembe accompanied the Windhoek City Police on a routine night patrol on Friday night, during which the two celebrities endured hugs and awkward camera moments with patrons at various watering holes in Windhoek, while experiencing real police work that ranged from maintaining order among drunken revelers to helping a drunk man home. The man was literally crawling home after drinking himself into a stupor.
But the shocking part of the police operation was perhaps the moment when City Police officers had to attend to a hit-and-run accident, in the Goreangab area, in which a young man had to be rushed to hospital after he was hit by a car. The vehicle and driver disappeared from the scene. The other noteworthy incident occurred in Eveline Street where the police had to intervene in a near physical fight between a taxi driver and a private motorist. The driver of the private vehicle was later found to be under the influence of alcohol, after he registered 0.63 on the breathalyser.
Much later in the night, near the end of the patrol shift, the group came across the man who was literally trying to crawl home after he drank himself into a stupor at one of the shebeens in the area.
The City Police took him home, but only after a brief but serious struggle to get him into the police van. Superintendent Helena Mootseng said the whole idea for Mathews and Nepembe to join in the patrol was for them to experience firsthand what the situation on the ground is and to maybe use their newfound stardom to influence the youth to change their ways or to act more responsibly. Mathews and Nepembe told reporters that they are ready to act as role models for the youth and that they as young people themselves now see what the police are going through.
At the start of the patrol the police found four underage youngsters drinking outside at the back of a popular bar. Superintendent Gerry Shikesho had to pour out their liquor onto the ground, saying the popular spot is where the police always find youngsters drinking.
The youngsters told members of the media that they drink there because there are no entertainment venues for young people and that it is too expensive to drink inside the bars. They also said that they do not want to drink at their homes, because their parents are at home and they do not want to show disrespect.
By Roland Routh