Month: December 2023

In Khorixas, Kunene Region, a 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a 30-year-old man on Friday. The Namibian Police Force (NamPol) reported that the incident occurred around 21:40 after the girl had gone to fetch a key from her grandmother. The suspect reportedly followed her, forcibly entered a house with her, assaulted her, and then sexually assaulted her. He has been arrested and was scheduled for a court appearance on Monday. In a related incident in Mariental, an 18-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a 44-year-old man on Friday evening. The assault occurred in a house in the Ombili residential area, where the victim was with her cousin and others. After the group dispersed, the suspect is said to have forced the girl into a room and sexually assaulted her. The girl’s sister intervened, leading to the suspect’s arrest.

According to Namibian Press Agency (NAMPA), Additionally, a 34-year-old man was arrested on Friday in Opuwo for attempting to certify a forged Grade 12 certificate at the local police station. The certificate had been altered with the suspect’s name and birth date. He was expected to appear before the Opuwo Magistrate’s Court on Monday. Police investigations in all cases are ongoing.

In Eenhana, the Town Council has announced a significant debt relief program to alleviate the financial burden of its residents. The Town Mayor, Omri-Onn Kavandje, in a discussion with Nampa on Monday, disclosed that residents currently owe around N$40.2 million in service debts. As a response, the council is implementing an interest relief initiative, waiving 100% of interest on municipal bills for both residential and business clients over a 12-month period starting January and ending December 2024. Kavandje emphasized the opportunity for residents to settle their bills within this period, ensuring that their accumulated interest over the years will be written off.

According to Namibian Press Agency (NAMPA), He also mentioned other ongoing projects, including street naming in some areas and relocating certain traditional homesteads for development purposes, a move expected to cost around N$8 million with support from the line ministry. Kavandje noted the challenge of managing the increasing number of street vendors in Eenhana, which has led to overcrowding and non-compliance with local authority legislation. To address this, the council is engaging stakeholders to fund the construction of an open market facility.

In Walvis Bay’s Kuisebmond residential area, a 67-year-old man, Nghilalulwa Shihafeleni, was found deceased in an apparent suicide on Saturday. The Namibian Police Force reported that Shihafeleni’s body was discovered with a gunshot wound to the head and a pistol beside it, around 05:30. Meanwhile, in Karasburg, a 29-year-old man, Tomas Basson, was fatally stabbed at a club early Sunday.

According to Namibian Press Agency (NAMPA), The stabbing, which took place around 04:00, led to Basson’s death at Keetmanshoop State Hospital. The motives behind the stabbing remain unknown, and no arrests have been made. In another incident in Windhoek’s Otjomuise area, a house break-in on Saturday resulted in the theft of items valued at N$14,800, including two gas bottles and a pistol. The theft occurred between 05:30 and 08:00, with the perpetrators cutting a chain to gain entry. As of now, no arrests or recoveries have been made, and police investigations are ongoing.

In the Oshikoto Region, a motor vehicle accident at Omutsegondjamba village resulted in varying injuries for four individuals around 22:30 on Sunday. Commissioner Theopoline Kalompo-Nashikaku, Oshikoto

According to Namibian Press Agency (NAMPA), provided details in a crime update. The incident involved a pick-up traveling from Oshivelo to Omuthiya, towing a trailer with four cattle. The driver lost control, causing the vehicle to overturn and roll once. The passengers sustained serious to moderate injuries and were transported to Omuthiya State Hospital, with one later transferred to Oshakati State Hospital. The driver, a 21-year-old man from Ongha village in the Ohangwena Region, was unharmed. The three male passengers, including an Angolan national, suffered serious head and chest injuries and were also moved to Oshakati State Hospital for further treatment.

From Windhoek, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Security has called upon the Head of State to address the escalating security concerns in the Zambezi region through the Namibia Botswana Joint Commission. This appeal follows the committee’s consultative meetings in 2022 with various stakeholders regarding the region’s security state. The committee’s visit was prompted by an increase in harassment and shooting incidents by the Botswana Defense Force (BDF) along the Chobe River, impacting communities there.

According to Namibian Press Agency (NAMPA), A notable incident involved the shooting of three Namibian men and a Zambian national, suspected of poaching, which intensified public demands for government action. The report compiled by the committee highlights ongoing disputes over the 2018 boundary treaty, which local traditional authorities claim lacked proper consultation. Community members along the borderline from Mahunga to Kasika have expressed dissatisfaction with the current treaty, advocating for negotiations and a reversion to the Berlin Treaty lines of 1884, as established by the 1890 Berlin Conference. The report concludes that without cooperation from Botswana authorities, investigating harassment and intimidation incidents against residents living along the borderline remains challenging.

In Windhoek, the Blood Transfusion Service of Namibia (NamBTS) is currently facing a critical shortage of blood supply.

According to Namibian Press Agency (NAMPA), Supervisor of Marketing and Donor Relations at NamBTS, the country is down to a five-day blood supply, significantly lower than the ideal. Particularly affected are O-positive and O-negative blood types. Shivute pointed out that the ideal blood stock level should be a 9–12-day supply to ensure all patients in need receive timely and potentially life-saving transfusions. He mentioned that Namibia requires over 170 blood donations daily to meet hospital demands, a target challenged by the significant increase in transfusions over the past two months. Despite efforts in the past two weeks, the shortage persists. Shivute highlighted the diverse needs for blood products, extending beyond trauma and emergency patients. Blood is crucial for mothers experiencing complications during pregnancy and birth, premature infants, burn victims, cancer patients, and those with chronic illnesses, surgeries, or organ and blood conditions. With the festive season approaching, Shivute ur
ged all eligible blood donors in Namibia to donate regularly to help save lives. Donations can be made at NamBTS’s fixed site centers in Windhoek, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Ondangwa, Oshakati, and at mobile blood donation sessions in Okahandja, Ongwediva, Rehoboth, and Outapi this week.