Loide Jason
MTC and the Namibian Police are offering a N$160 000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of suspected rapists and killers in Windhoek.
Of the amount, N$60 000 is from the police while MTC gave N$100 000.
The bounty is for the whereabouts of suspects who raped a 12-year-old girl in the presence of her mother as well as the suspect responsible for the killing of 29-year-old Andy Kazekondjo who was shot while trying to protect his young sister from an intruder. Both incidents happened in Havana earlier this month. MTC also donated N$50 000 to the One Economy Foundation in order to assist the two families.
“We decided to assist the police so that whoever has the information can come forth to make sure that those people are apprehended and dealt with. We are also going to partner with One Economy Foundation to assist the two families who are traumatised by the culprits,” said MTC executive Tim Ekandjo.
“Hence we want the police to make sure that those people are behind bars as soon as possible.”
Police spokesperson, Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi urged the community to assist in identifying the suspects who committed the gruesome acts. She added that the gender-based violence sub-division was still investigating the cases and efforts to locate and apprehend the suspects have not produced any tangible results thus far. “We do believe that someone somewhere knows something and we want them to come forward. Therefore, we are requesting the assistance of the public, to provide information that may lead to the arrests of the perpetrators,” she said.
She, however, said two persons of interest were questioned in connection with the death of Kazekondjo and appeared in court last week. They were remanded in custody after they were found in possession of an unlicensed firearm, which is similar to the type of spent cartridges found at the murder scene. She clarified the two cannot be linked to the case yet pending ballistics analysis. She, however, appealed to every Namibian to join hands in the fight against rape and other criminal activities.
Speaking at the same occasion was Dr Veronica Theron from the One Economy Foundation who explained that the money received will be used to help the two families with counselling and other services the foundation offers. “We cannot be specific because we are going to access their needs and then we will help them based on their needs.
For example, if they need to be admitted for psychiatric, or they need to see a social worker and they need transport money to go get all those services.
We will help them based on the conditions,” she explained.
– ljason@nepc.com.na