By Anna Ingwafa
OSHAKATI
One person died yesterday morning after he was shot in the stomach following an incident in which he allegedly stabbed a policewoman in the stomach after the man initially disturbed a Swapo Party Rally at Omuthiya.
The shooting victim disturbed a Swapo campaign rally which was being addressed by the Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Richard Kamwi, at the political hotbed of Omuthiya, where opposition and Swapo members recently clashed.
Both the stabbing and shooting incidents were confirmed by Oshana Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner Ndahangwapo Kashihakumwa, and the Executive Director of the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), Phil ya Nangoloh.
The shooting victim became unruly, manhandling a female constable. When the officer’s colleague came to her rescue the assailant allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed the policewoman in the stomach whereafter a male officer intervened.
The officer fired a warning shot in the air and then shot the unnamed man in the stomach at around 18h30 on Saturday.
The unruly victim was shot after he attempted to stab the policeman who intervened.
After the shooting both victims where rushed to Onandjokwe Hospital where they received emergency treatment.
While the policewoman’s condition has improved, the man at the centre of the disturbances succumbed to the gunshot wound early yesterday.
Before the man was shot some police officers apparently took him in for disturbing a political rally and after he was set free he took out his anger on the two women saying he did not like the way the police had treated him when he was taken in for questioning.
Deputy Commissioner Kashihakumwa identified the police constable as Sara Nakumbwata who the NSHR says comes from Onayena Village. The police commander yesterday described her condition as stable.
The NSHR yesterday strongly condemned what it termed the cowardly stabbing of the police constable and it called on all Namibians to refrain from acts of violence against the police.
NSHR claimed there were also other violent acts reported from the north that are seemingly politically motivated as the victims were from the opposition RDP.