Selma Ikela
Windhoek-One of the two men viciously assaulted at the Engen service station in Hochland Park, Windhoek, was scheduled for an operation on his elbow on Wednesday evening at a local private hospital.
Curtis Brandt, 26, broke his left elbow after he was repeatedly beaten with a plank after a heated argument with security guards at the service station.
The incident happened on Sunday morning at 05h00 when Brandt and his brother Genre Schmidt, 29, stopped to buy food after a night out.
The brothers opened a case of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm against the security guards employed by Dog Force Security Services.
The company has suspended the two security guards while the police investigate the matter.
This is the second incident involving a violent assault of customers by employees of this particular service station.
Brandt told New Era that during the operation, doctors would implant wires to join his elbow.
Although he has medical aid, he said he would have bills to pay afterwards.
“Not to talk about the consultation fees, specialists, equipment cost and crutches we got. We paid to use them,” Brandt said during a visit to their home on Wednesday afternoon.
He sustained an open wound on his neck, has several bruises on his upper and lower back and had a bruise on his face, which has now subsided. He has an ankle bracelet on his left ankle.
“I am not sure if it (ankle) is broken. The doctor will have the final say on Wednesday, but right now I can’t step on it,” Brandt said.
He felt that it seemed as though the security guard did not care how violently he assaulted them, but even seemed to enjoy beating them.
The doctor told Schmidt he had soft tissue damage on his back and sustained bruises on his body. He has a knee brace on his right leg, and cannot step on it.
“I have appointment with a specialist next week. He can’t see what is wrong with it now because it is swollen,” Schmidt said.
Doctors have booked both men off from work.
Speaking about the events of that fateful evening, Schmidt said they did not go to the service station to fight, but to buy food.
The brothers cannot remember what started the argument, but they feel it was unnecessary for the security guard to beat them like dogs.
The guards could have called the police to sort out the matter, but instead took a plank and severely assaulted them.
“The video went viral, and bystanders asked the security guard to stop beating us because we were not fighting back, but it seems like he (security guard) was enjoying himself. He wanted to kill us that’s how I felt,” Brandt remarked.
Both categorically stated that at no time did they make racist remarks to the guards. Brandt says that he regards himself as black, and would point that out to a fellow person of colour.
“I’m not racist. People who make such comments don’t know us – we are black,” Brandt said.
Schmidt added that while arguing with the guards he had gone to the pay point with the security guard next to him, but the guard rudely asked him to leave the shop as his finger bled.
However, he asked the security guard whether he could first finish paying and then leave.
He left the shop, and then returned, at which point the security guard pepper sprayed him, which made him collapse to the floor, but the security guard started hitting him.
The brothers said they later learnt that service station employees accused them of trying to steal from the shop.
He said that after the assault, bystanders helped Brandt and Schmidt get into their vehicle to leave the service station, and it was only in the morning when they felt the aches and pain.
A letter circulating on social media from Dog Force Security Company issued by Kuume Uutaapama – the employer of the security guards – apologised to the two men involved, their friends and family.
Uutaapama said it was an isolated incident, which had never happened before and they strongly condemned the actions and decision taken by the guards involved.
“We furthermore assure the public and our clients that such actions offend against our strong values of integrity, and providing professional security services to our clients,” Uutaapama said.