WINDHOEK – Murder and rape dominated last weekend’s crime statistics with no less than five murders, an attempted murder and three rape cases reported to the police.
Deputy Commissioner Edwin Kanguatjivi announced at the weekly crime briefing that 20-year-old Quinton Cloete was stabbed to death with a knife at Ombwa ya Lyatotena in Okahandja Park on Friday at around 22h45. The suspects fled the scene but two were arrested the same night while a third is still on the run but is known to the police. Kanguatjivi said that 46-year-old David Kido was arrested on September 19 at farm Jakkalsfontein in the Mariental district and charged with the rape and murder of his 18-year-old stepdaughter as well as perjury and attempting to defeat the course of justice. According to Kanguatjivi Kido allegedly raped and killed the girl and shoved her remains in an aardvark hole and reported her as “missing” to the police. Police investigations then revealed Kido was in fact the main suspect and he appeared in the Mariental Magistrate’s Court on September 26 and his case was postponed to November 21 2013 to allow him time to arrange for formal legal representation. He remains in police custody.
A case of attempted murder was opened at the Otjiwarongo police station against a 30-year-old suspect who allegedly hacked 31-year-old Lyman Strauss with a panga all over his body inflicting serious injuries. The victim was transferred to Windhoek by ambulance and is in a critical condition in hospital.
The incident is reported to have happened on September 28 2013 at around 15h00 in the Orwetoveni location at Otjiwarongo. The suspect was arrested and was to appear in the Otjiwarongo Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
An alleged game turned out bitter for one man and hurtful for another on September 28 2013. It alleged two cattle herders from Otjiwanda cattle post in Tsandi constituency were playing and teasing each other when the joke instantly turned into a bitter fight and the suspect used a stick to beat the victim several times on the neck, face and mouth causing injury him to the extent that he had to be rushed to the Tsandi hospital where he is in a serious but stable medical condition. The suspect was arrested and will make a first appearance in the Okahao Magistrate’s Court today.
Four people including a one-year-old boy lost their lives in a horrific accident near Plessis Plaas close to Gobabis on FridaySeptember 27 at around 14h00. It is reported the brakes of a heavy truck transporting cement failed when it tried to climb a steep hill and it started to roll backwards crushing a bakkie with eight occupants. Four of the bakkie’s occupants died while the other four escaped with minor to serious injuries.
The truck driver and his passenger escaped unhurt. The deceased were identified as the 27-year-old female Ivonne Kavehita from Post 10 at Epukiro, 15-year-old female Uvatera Kaunatjike from Post 4, 5-year-old boy Pamuue Kavehita from Post 10 and one-year-old Puumue Kavari from Post 9.
A municipal bus overturned at the Concordia College bridge on the Western Bypass after swerving to avoid a head-on collision with a vehicle that landed in its lane after driving through some wet wheat on the road that may have spilled from a truck. It was reported that the bus, which was carrying 68 passengers, hit the bridge and landed on its right side. The incident happened on Friday at 15h30 and some of the passengers sustained serious injuries and were hospitalised.
A case of rape was reported at the Otjiwarongo police station after a 17-year-old suspect allegedly sodomised a 19-year-old male. It is said that the suspect forced the victim to accompany him from a certain house near Swannevelder Hall in Otjiwarongo to a house in Orwetoveni on September 27 at around 03h00 where he allegedly beat the victim and had anal intercourse with the victim without his consent. The suspect is known to the police, but has not been arrested as yet.
A neighbour at around 13h00 allegedly raped a reportedly mentally disabled woman on Friday September 27 at Oshilemba village in the Okahao constituency.
It is alleged the suspect found the victim outside her house sleeping under the shade of a tree, picked her up and carried her inside her room where he proceeded to have sexual intercourse with the victim without her consent. It is further alleged that the 18-year old victim is mentally retarded. The 32-year-old suspect was arrested and was to appear in the Okahao Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
A 48-year-old suspect was arrested on September 27 2013 after allegedly raping an 11-year-old victim and attempting to rape another 11-year-old on September 26 2013 at Omukondo village in the Okahao constituency.
It is alleged that the suspect called the victims inside his sleeping quarters where he proceeded to have intercourse with one of the victims with her consent, then tried to have intercourse with the second victim, but failed to penetrate her. It is further alleged that the suspect raped and attempted to rape both victims on two different occasions. He will appear in the Okahao Magistrate’s Court today.
By Roland Routh