Residents of the //Kharas region reacted with shock and disbelieve at the seemingly senseless killing of a farmworker, Edmund Mutete from Area 7, Lὓderitz who has been assaulted and left to die in the field.
“On Sunday, 13 February 2022 at a rest tree approximately 50km outside Lüderitz, on the way to Aus, the lifeless body of a Namibian male has been discovered. It is alleged that the deceased, a Namibian male has been assaulted by the suspect with fists, kicking and with an unknown object, after which he was dumped and left in the field without food and water. ‘’The body was, however, transported to Keetmanshoop and then Windhoek for purposes of carrying out an autopsy to determine the cause of death whilst police investigations continue and no arrest has been made yet,’’ a police statement read. Swapo regional coordinator for the //Kharas region, Matheus Mumbala who suspect a white farmer might have assaulted the deceased, said it is indeed shocking and worrisome that members of the white community in Namibia are still assaulting and mistreating non-whites in an independent, free Namibia. “Is this how these people are now throwing back reconciliation as a measure to forgive the past injustices they brought on us in our faces?’’ he queried.
Mumbala added that the community in the //Kharas region are now demanding a proper investigation from the Namibian Police so that the culprit can be arrested and face the full wrath of the law.
“These people have all the money to afford expensive lawyers and even if arrested today, can be out on bail tomorrow but we as the community are demanding that the guilty person/s case should be treated in the same manner as that of the Fishrot accused, and be refused bail,’’ the politician added.
Meanwhile, !Nami#Nus constituency councillor Susan Ndjaleka informed New Era that the family of the deceased and the Lὓderitz community at large are in shock about this senseless killing of the worker.
“I visited the family yesterday and found them deeply aggrieved and unable to come to sense with the loss of their son,” she said.
Ndjaleka said, whoever carried out this heinous crime should be brought to justice and be dealt with according to laws as a measure to let the family members find solace.
“It is highly unacceptable that such evil deeds are still carried out in an independent, free Namibia where we should live together in peace and harmony,’’ said the politician. She then called on the community to come forward and assist the bereaved family in any form they can.
It is alleged by community members that the suspect appears to be a white commercial farmer who apparently owns a business in the southern harbour town.
Social media posts that went viral over the weekend, indicated that community members apparently took to the streets and assaulted the suspect, but this has been confirmed as false and misleading by the Namibian Police’s //Kharas crime investigations coordinator Chrispin Mubebo.
In a crime report availed to this publication, Mubebo indicated that a case of murder with alternative charges of culpable homicide and assault to do grievous bodily harm has been opened.
The Lὓderitz community is expected to stage a peaceful demonstration today to demand an arrest and object to the granting of bail to the subsequent suspect.
– sklukowski@nepc.com.na