Aron Mushaukwa
KATIMA MULILO – Members of community policing in Katima Mulilo have been left shocked after a possible case of assault to cause grievous bodily harm and kidnapping was never registered at the Katima Mulilo police station.
This reporter arrived at the scene on Sunday evening at the Cowboy location, where he witnessed a man, possibly in his thirties, loaded in a boot of a VW sedan.
Witnesses revealed the victim was assaulted several times by a health worker, employed at the Katima Mulilo State Hospital, for allegedly abusing his vehicle.
Bystanders also heard the assailant bragging that nothing would happen to him, as he was simply “teaching a lesson [to] someone who disappeared with his car for three days” – and “something mysterious will happen” anyone who would try to reprimand him for what he did.
An eyewitness told New Era that for three days, the taxi driver allegedly never cashed in and his employer never saw him.
“When he ran out of fuel, he did not drive the car for the whole of Saturday. In the evening, he sold the battery. Today (Sunday), the vehicle owner was tipped off and arrived where his car was parked, where he found his taxi driver and started assaulting him while holding an axe in his hand, threatening to cut him; bystanders were pleading with him to let go,” said the witness.
The witness further stated the health worker contacted his friend to come help him, who came swiftly and helped in the assault.
The two forced the taxi driver into the boot.
After he loaded him in the boot, he proceeded to go to the police station to open a case of theft.
New Era could not confirm whether or not the case was opened.
However, during police questioning at the scene, the health worker admitted he assaulted and injured him before locking him in the boot and driving with him to the police station.
“It is me who did that to him; I cannot deny it. I did that because he was refusing to jump in. I went to the police station to report the theft,” he admitted.
“So, you locked him in and drove with a closed boot?” asked the police officer on the scene.
“The boot was locked. I can’t drive with an open boot; it is very wrong – and it is not allowed in Namibia,” he responded.
It was after coming back from the police station that the victim was rescued by members of community policing, who then contacted the police.
New Era investigations unearthed that no case was opened.
A member of community policing, who requested anonymity, stated that the victim was talked out of opening a case while he was being treated at the hospital.
“It is very disappointing that someone who is a health worker assaults a person to a point of almost killing him but a case is not opened against him. I am informed the victim was talked out of it and promised to be given N$200. But as we are talking, he is still in serious pain as a result of the beating he received,” he stated.