KEETMANSHOOP – Residents of Keetmanshoop are living in constant fear as well-known criminal gang “Hosh-Hosh” continues to terrorise them unabatedly.

Armore Plaatjie (29), the gang’s latest victim, told New Era that he was attacked and robbed by the criminals on 25 November.

He said one of the attackers lured him from his house with a promise to share proceeds from the sale of a cellular phone. 

“I accompanied him since we are friends. But shortly after that, him and his two friends started to chase me, stabbing me in my lung and on my back,” the victim stated.

A heartbroken Erica Plaatjie (48), the mother of the victim, expressed her disappointment and anger over the incident. 

“Why should they lead my innocent son into a trap and stab him?” she questioned. 

She also asked how long the residents must live in fear, and be robbed and assaulted by the “gangsters”. 

“When will the police start to apprehend these gang members, and protect us as part of their duties? Must we, as victims, first take the law into our own hands before something will be done?” she asked.

When probed on the incident, the Namibian Police’s //Kharas regional crime investigations coordinator Theofilus Mbako said the victim had not opened a criminal case yet. As such, the three suspects were released by the police.

In a separate incident, a bar owner shot two members of the alleged gang at his premises on the same date.

Mbako said the suspect (business owner), in this case handed himself over to the police after the incident. 

“A case of attempted murder has been opened, whilst the suspect opened cases of violating a peace order, assault by threat, and trespassing at private property against Tangeni Alweendo (31) and 27-year-old Jamie Afrikaner,” he added. 

“After firing warning shots, the suspect then shot Alweendo in his left leg, whilst Afrikaner was shot in the neck. The latter refused to be treated at the Keetmanshoop state hospital, while Alweendo is in a stable condition, and will soon be transported to the Windhoek state hospital for further treatment”, the officer revealed.

Mbako said another suspect indicated that he acted in self-defence, and was thus not arrested.  

The police are busy carrying out investigations into the matter.

- sklukowski@nepc.com.na