Walvis Bay
The Namibian police in the Erongo Region issued 1 035 fines, worth N$1.1 million, for road transgressions ranging from speeding to reckless driving, as well as drunk driving over the past holiday season.
The figures were released yesterday by the Erongo police chief Commissioner Andreas Nelumbu during a press briefing at Walvis Bay, where he said 260 cases were reported over the same period.
Nelumbu further said three people died in car accidents during the said period, significantly fewer than the eight that died in the region during the 2015/2016 holiday and the 15 who died during the 2014/2015 holiday period.
“Nine people were seriously injured in these accidents. Overall we had 229 road accidents reported in our region, which is slightly lower that the 231 reported during the 2015/2016 festive season,” he noted.
Forty-nine persons were arrested for drunk driving, while nine rapes were reported in the region, including a baby that was raped in Omaruru. One drowning incident was also recorded along the coast.
The commissioner said rape, assault, drug dealing, robbery, stock theft, fraud, theft out of motor vehicles, as well as burglary were of the most commonly committed crimes in the region over the past summer.
“I am not entirely happy with the outcome, but I must say our men (and women) in uniform did their level best to make our region is save for holiday makers and residents. We did our level best to keep crime and accidents at bay, however I will only be happy if we record a fully crime free festive season,” he said.