2018-07-31Staff Report 2 Selma Ikela WINDHOEK - Four police officers find themselves being investigated by their own colleagues on charges of suspected gender-based violence (GBV) after they clobbered their girlfriends and wives in separate incidents reported to the police. This puts tremendous pressure on police Inspector-General Sebastian Ndeitunga, whose counsel to his subordinates in recent weeks seems to have fallen on death ears, and considering the fact a young woman was shot dead last week – also by her policeman lover. Ndeitunga says he is done with empty talk and it is now time to take action against rogue law-enforcement officers giving him sleepless nights. He was responding to accusations levelled against the men in uniform arrested for assaulting their partners. One of the victims is eight months pregnant. These barbaric acts come days after a Namibian police officer shot and killed his girlfriend before turning the gun onto himself last week at a Windhoek West supermarket, in an cowardly act that shocked the nation. “Investigations started already. I don’t want to talk too much in the media. The talking is now over, now is action,” briefly stated Ndeitunga before dropping the phone in the reporter’s ear yesterday. Apart from the four cases of GBV involving police officers, police recorded seven other cases of GBV where six people were arrested countrywide. In Mariental, police constable Samuel Jantze, 30, was denied bail yesterday at the tow’s local court for assaulting his heavily pregnant girlfriend on Saturday. Jantze faced a charge of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, read with domestic violence. The incident report seen by New Era stated that Jantze allegedly beat the complainant, who is a nurse, on several occasions with fists and police belt. The incident allegedly happened at Mariental State Hospital’s nurses home. It is charged that Jantze has been abusing the girlfriend between January 2017 and July 28, 2018. “There is observation of bruises on right eye. There were properties damaged in complainant’s room during the assault which accused claims to belongs to him,” reads a report circulated on police WhatsApp plaforms. In a similar incident, a 40-year-old police constable at Koes was arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife, aged 32, at a local club at the town on Friday evening. “The suspect grabbed the complainant on her braids and pulled her out of the club. Kicked her in the face, whereby she sustained bruises on her forehead and a swollen right eye. It is alleged the reason is jealousy,” reads the report. //Karas police regional crime coordinator deputy commissioner Chrispin Mubebo told New Era that the police officer will appear in court today. He remains in custody. In Windhoek, police opened a case of assault through threatening, read with domestic violence, against a member attached to traffic unit based at Israel Patrick Iyambo training centre. The officer, an inspector, threatened to kill the complainant - who is his wife - and expose her on social media. Still in Windhoek, a warrant officer from VIPP was arrested and detained for allegedly hitting the girlfriend’s head several times against a wall at Single Quarters. The report states that the officer assaulted the girlfriend after he heard her talking to the father of her children from a previous relationship. It is further reported that the officer also assaulted his daughter, whom he threatened to kill alongside the mother. The victim is in stable condition. Namibian Police spokesperson Edwin Kanguatjivi told New Era that there is a perception out there that police officers get away with criminal activities, but said this was devoid of any truth. “But with the arrest of the latest four (officers), there is a clear indication that no one is above the law. People are encouraged to come forth and report police officers who misuse their powers,” he stated. Kanguatjivi added that the public may have been suffering in silence but following last week’s incident involving a police officer murdering his girlfriend and turning the gun onto himself, there seems to be a realisation to report matters of GBV to the police. “(It is) an indication that no one is above the law, even police officers can be arrested and charged,” Kanguatjivi stated. 2018-07-31Staff Report 2
