Africa-Press – Namibia. “EVERY day we see the killers of our brothers walking among us – all because of the negligence of the police.”
These are the words of the older siblings of Gift Mainga and Fred Kasungo, who were brutally murdered in the Sibbinda constituency last month.
Alex Mainga, Gift’s older brother, says the family is saddened by the way the police have handled his brother’s death, declaring it a hit-and-run without proper investigation.
“The culprits created that crime scene for the police and they just followed it, while all the evidence points to murder,” he says.
Mainga recalls that his brother and other family members were drinking at a bar at Lusu village, after some time he [Gift] told them that he was going home.
Mainga believes the culprits may have ambushed Gift while he was on his way home on 15 October.
“The autopsy revealed that my brother had five broken ribs, which injured his liver and right lung. This caused internal bleeding and he died as a result,” he says.
Mainga believes after beating his brother, the culprits threw him on the tarred road hoping that a car would run over him and that it would be declared the cause of his death.
Fortunately, the driver who found his lifeless body on the road was not driving fast. He noticed that there was someone laying on the road and stopped to see what was going on.
“That was around 02h00 on 16 October, when that man found my brother. He recognised him and informed us,” Mainga says.
The police were called to the scene and without reconstructing the scene of crime, they declared it a hit-and-run.
“I don’t know how this can be because there was a mopane stick and a screwdriver found next to his body. All of which was used to kill him.
“The owner of the screwdriver was even identified and he admitted it was his. The police did not even bother interrogating him further,” he says.
Mainga says to date, no suspects have been arrested for his brother’s murder.
“The suspects are known to us and by the police, but they are turning a blind eye to it. If it was an elephant that was killed, they could have already arrested and prosecuted the suspects. However, for a human life they show little interest,” he says.
Mainga pleads for justice for his brother so that the the family can find closure and move on.
“My brother, who was a teacher, has a toddler and another baby on the way. Who will take care of them now? They will grow up without a father.”
This is not the first time a mysterious death has occurred in villages such as Masokotwani, Muketela, Kanono and Lusu.
Kasungo’s sister Eugenia Kasungo could not hold back tears when speaking to The Namibian.
Her brother was killed in 2016 and still no one has been arrested for his murder.
It is alleged that Kasungo was beaten to death by culprits who broke into his shop in the Masokotwani area on 3 March 2016.
“They arrested a suspect but they released him afterwards. If we cannot count on the police to apprehend criminals, then who will do it?
“My brother was just taken like that from us and his killers are free. He was our provider and now we are suffering,” she says.
Last Friday, the residents of Sibbinda constituency staged a peaceful demonstration in the hopes of mounting pressure on the police to ensure the culprits of the murders of nine men between 2016 and 2021 are brought to justice.
The other victims are identified as Raymond Liyala, Shebby Mukaya, Hendrick Siezize, Mukabbi Makando, Kasungo Tysen, Given Samati and Allen Mahoto.
In a petition read by Raphael Kachana, residents noted that they have tried their level best to work with the police to aid in the apprehension of these suspects but the police are not doing anything.
They demanded that these cases be reopened and be investigated with the merit they deserve, while accusing the regional Serious Crime Division of incompetence.
“The police officers were bribed and all these cases were declared hit-and-run accidents but no cars suspected to be involved are found.
“We suspect the investigators of these crimes are direct beneficiaries of the ritual killings. The cases should be changed from culpable homicide to murder,” the petition reads.
Zambezi regional police commissioner Marius Katamila did not comment on the allegations levelled against the police. He said he had received the petition and forwarded it to the police’s national headquarters in Windhoek.
COPS RESPOND
National police spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, when approached for comment, said the course of the law is a gradual process.
This means in certain cases arrests are not imminent, especially if evidence against suspects are not available.
“Officers should also not rush into arresting a person and subsequently be faced with lawsuits due to wrongful arrest. I cannot substantiate the Zambezi Police’s incompetency, but as far as we know they are trying to serve the community to the best of their abilities.
“However, if it happens that there are anything untoward, irregular, unfair, and/or discriminatory from the side of the police, that must be reported for further investigation,” she said.
Shikwambi urged the community to not hesitate to report police officers who accept bribes so that they can be investigated.
She also called on the community to continue assisting the police in their fight against crime.
“Despite limited resources and other challenges, reported cases in the Sibbinda constituency are given the necessary attention. It is just a pity that some community members, though complaining about the police being reluctant to act, are not coming forth to report suspects or to give witness statements,” she said.
For More News And Analysis About Namibia Follow Africa-Press
