KARIBIB – Karibib residents and farmers from the surrounding farms are angry over the increase in stock theft and want all police officers in the police stock theft unit at the town to be replaced with immediate effect.
Residents issued the demand last week Thursday during the appearance of former Namibian police warrant-officer Desmond Kamoruao who previously headed the stock theft unit in Karibib, but was arraigned for stock theft. About 20 angry residents and farmers gathered at the court to hand a petition to public prosecutor, George Matali, shortly before Kamorauo and four others made their appearance on charges of stock theft and defeating the course of justice. The five are suspected of stealing more than 30 cattle worth more than N$113 000.
Speaking on behalf of the angry residents and farmers, councillor Ussiel Paulus Xoagub appealed to the police to urgently re-open all stock theft cases handled by Kamoruao and to suspend the entire stock theft unit as they might influence an investigationm which is already underway. Xoagub said farmers are demanding that all suspects remain in jail pending the finalisation of the investigation as they are capable of tampering with the investigation. “We are also demanding that the case be handled by investigators from Walvis Bay or Windhoek and that the entire team from Karibib be replaced or suspended for the duration of the investigation. This is a serious matter, since stock theft in the area has robbed women, their children and struggling farmers of their livelihoods and cannot be tolerated any longer at the town and surrounding farms,” he said.
Farmers are also demanding that Nampol thoroughly search the farm at the centre of the investigation and all adjacent farms for the possible recovery of stolen livestock. “The village of the accused, in the Okakarara district should also be put under surveillance and searched for possible stolen livestock. Nampol should also determine whether a lease agreement between the accused and the farm owners exist,” they said in the petition.
By Eveline de Klerk