NDN Staffer

WINDHOEK, May 2 — On April 25, 2023, a group of notorious criminals allegedly planned an armed robbery at a farm in the Khomas district. However, the plan was allegedly diverted to a gambling house in Okahandja, Otjozondjupa Region. The police received intelligence-led information about the robbery and responded to the call promptly. They pursued the suspects from the Windhoek/Okahandja Road Traffic Checkpoint to Okahandja town. However, the suspects disappeared, and the officers later found them at a gambling house near the Okahandja Municipality offices.

During the pursuit, the suspects allegedly shot at the police car, triggering an exchange of fire. The car came to a standstill, and one of the suspects allegedly jumped out of the vehicle and ran into a nearby riverbed, disappearing from sight. Eventually, the suspect’s vehicle came to a standstill on the way to the Nau-Aib location, opposite a Billtong Shop. At this point, the police observed that five suspects were in the vehicle and had been struck by bullets during the shooting. A search of the vehicle revealed housebreaking equipment, knives, and two airguns.

The police vehicle had also been shot at, but none of the three officers involved in the shooting sustained injuries during the exchange of fire. Unfortunately, the five suspects were declared dead by medical officers dispatched to the scene of the incident. They were positively identified as Abed ANDREAS @ Koppe, Flavianus Kaluwapa ENDJALA @ Kalu, Marius llPINGE @ Jackie, Malakia liyambo KOTOKENI @ Brown, and Erick Martin AKAWA.

Following the incident, a case of attempted murder and malicious damage to property was registered against the fleeing suspect. Additionally, a case of murder was registered against the police officers involved in the shooting as per the Okahandja Crime Register. Post mortems have been completed, and evidence has been collected. However, the investigation into the cases is still ongoing, including forensic investigation on the vehicles, cell phones, firearms involved, and the items found in the suspect’s vehicle.

This investigation is a gradual process, and it cannot be rushed to avoid incomplete facts. The public is urged to allow the investigation process to continue unhindered, and patience is required in this serious matter. The unidentified suspect who jumped out of the moving vehicle and disappeared from the scene is still at large. Police investigation in the registered criminal cases continues, and the public will be updated if and when necessary.

Further information reveals that the five deceased had twenty-four pending cases for which they were arrested and granted bail. These cases are still on court roll pending finalization and range from housebreaking and theft, armed robberies, robbery with aggravating circumstances, possession of firearms and ammunition without a license, attempted murder, discharge of a firearm in a municipal area, illegal dealing in firearms, malicious damage to property, theft out of the motor vehicle, displaying of fake vehicle number plates, and escape from lawful custody. These cases were committed and subsequently registered in Windhoek, Nkurenkuru, Walvisbay, Tsumeb, Omuthiya, Opuwo, Ongwediva, and Sesfontein.

In conclusion, the incident on April 25, 2023, was a tragic event that resulted in the loss of five lives. The investigation into the case is ongoing, and the public is urged to exercise patience as the authorities work to gather all the necessary evidence to bring justice to the victims and those responsible. The incident is a reminder of the importance of law and order, and the need for everyone to work together to maintain peace and security in our communities. – Namibia Daily News

By Staff Reporter

WINDHOEK, May 1 — UN special rapporteurs have criticized the German and Namibian governments for violating the rights of the Herero and Nama ethnic minorities. The UN representatives urge Germany to take responsibility for all its colonial crimes in Namibia, including mass murder. The Herero and Nama have been excluded from talks over reparations for colonial crimes against their ancestors. They have only been involved indirectly in talks via an advisory committee, and Germany is urged to pay reparations directly to the Herero and Nama, not to the Namibian government.

The brutal murder of tens of thousands of Herero and Nama between 1904 and 1908, when Germany was the colonial power in what was then German South West Africa, is at the heart of the matter. In January, lawyers in Namibia operating on behalf of the Herero and Nama submitted a claim to a Namibian court, urging it to declare the “joint declaration” between Germany and Namibia invalid as it contravened various articles in the Namibian constitution. If the claim is successful, the agreement would have to be negotiated anew.

The governments in Berlin and Windhoek agreed on the declaration in 2021 after years of discussion. However, it has never been signed because of its rejection by several Herero and Nama associations, who demanded direct participation in the negotiations, as well as reparations. The agreement had been made on German payments of about €1.1bn (£1bn) over a period of three decades to finance development projects.

In their letter, the UN rapporteurs said Berlin must acknowledge its responsibility “for the crimes carried out during its era of colonial rule,” adding that the agreement failed to include any effective reparation measures or the necessary means for reconciliation. Berlin’s plans for reconstruction and development programs were insufficient to compensate the victims and their descendants for the “scale of the damage that was done to them”. Development aid as a form of reparation was also in danger of “perpetuating rather than rectifying, colonial dynamics”. The rapporteurs were also critical of the way in which the negotiations had been kept secret.

Karina Theuer, an expert in international law and an adviser to lawyers in Namibia, said it would be necessary to start a new negotiation process. She told the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: “This must be transparent and in compliance with legal minimum standards.”

Reparations would bring back dignity, and self-worth, and play a meaningful role in the development and education of the Nama people so that they can share equally in the resources of Namibia. Gaob Johannes Isaak, the chair of the Nama Traditional Leaders Association, told The Guardian in February. Governments cannot be forced to act on the reports of UN special rapporteurs, but they are seen to have a strong influence. The violations of the rights of the Herero and Nama ethnic minorities must be addressed, and justice must be served. – Namibia Daily News