Month: April 2024

Residents of the ||Kharas Region on Sunday gathered at the farm of the late liberation struggle veteran, Ida Jimmy-!Ha-Eiros, to honour her legacy and celebrate her life.

Jimmy-!Ha-Eiros died on 03 April at the age of 79 after a long illness.

Speaking during the opening service that took place at Farm Snipriver in the Bethanie district, Chief of the !Aman Traditional Authority, Johannes Frederick, said the late Jimmy-!Ha-Eiros was among the few women that were determined to ensure that Namibia was liberated at whatever cost.

‘She said she would not hide as she wanted to be part of the fight and she achieved that. Even though she was a liberation struggle veteran, she never acted like she was entitled to benefits from government. She never asked what government could do for her, she always asked what she could do for the government and that was remarkable,’ he said.

Pastor Abel Vries said the late Jimmy-!Ha-Eiros’ footprints will never be forgotten or erased from the ground she walked on, going through dif
ficult situations that included being detained, all for her country.

‘She fought and stood up for injustice for the Namibian people and not only did she play a role in the liberation of this country, but up until her passing she took care of those who were helpless. Her footprints will be forever be seen,’ he said.

Among those in attendance were ||Kharas Governor Aletha Frederick and Minister of Justice, Yvonne Dausab.

Jimmy-!Ha-Eiros was born in Keetmanshoop in the year 1945. She served, among other roles, as Keetmanshoop urban constituency councillor, Swapo regional coordinator for ||Kharas between 1992 and 1998, member of the Swapo politburo and central committee and Swapo head of elections and district coordinator for Lderitz.

Last week, President Nangolo Mbumba conferred the honour of national heroine and state funeral on the late Jimmy-!Ha-Eiros.

Jimmy-!Ha-Eiros was laid to rest on Saturday at Farm Snipriver.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

The Namibian Police Force (NamPol) in the Oshikoto Region has opened a case of illegal hunting against two men aged 44 and 31 for allegedly killing two black rhinos worth N.dollars 1 million without a permit.

The region’s Crime Investigations Coordinator, Deputy Commissioner Titus Ekandjo, said the incident occurred on Sunday at an unknown time at Kameeldoring waterhole in Etosha National Park, close to Oshivelo in the Omuthiya constituency.

The suspects reside at Kotengua village near Opuwo and Omatando village near Ongwediva. A case of illegal hunting read with hunting of special protected game without a permit has been opened against them.

‘It is alleged that the suspects unlawfully and intentionally entered Etosha National Park, shot and killed two black rhinos (one adult female black rhino and one medium-sized male calf black rhino) without permit and consent,’ reported Ekandjo.

NamPol reported that firearms, ammunition and unknown sharp objects were used to kill the rhinos.

NamPol recovered the two
carcasses and four rhino horns, while the firearms were seized from the suspects.

The suspects were arrested and will appear in the Tsumeb Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

KATIMA MULILO: Serial escapee ‘Nine’ Masule and 10 other inmates escaped from prison at Katima Mulilo in the early hours of Monday.

The eleven suspects cut through the roof of a cell with an unknown object before escaping, the spokesperson of the Namibian Police Force (NamPol) for the Zambezi Region, Inspector Kisco Sitali, said.

Three of the escapees were re-arrested on Monday while the other eight, including Rick Mutolwa ‘Nine Masule’, were still at large.

The suspects are all awaiting trial on various charges such as house breaking and robberies cases and are said to be dangerous.

Masule is serving a five-year jail term for escaping from lawful custody while awaiting trial on eight charges emanating from various offences, including two murder charges; two counts of rape, and three of housebreaking.

Masule has previously outwitted the police on three occasions when he escaped from prison. In the second incident in October 2015, he was only rearrested after six months. He also escaped from custody in Oc
tober 2021 and was arrested within 24 hours.

Hundreds of people at Katima Mulilo converged on the police station to see for themselves that he had indeed been rearrested in 2021.

On that occasion, Masule was said to have been posting audio clips on the internet threatening police officers and their informers with death.

Meanwhile, Inspector Sitali called on the public not to panic and gave his assurance that his team is working hard on the matters.

He also urged anyone with information that could lead to the re-arrest of the escapees, to contact the police

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

SWAKOPMUND: The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), Dr Elsie Nghikembua has called for professionalism, transparency and non-partisan work ethic from registration officials assigned to foreign missions during the upcoming voters’ registration and polling.

This is in preparation for the 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections and Regional and Local elections in 2025.

Nghikembua at Swakopmund on Monday, during the opening of two weeks of training for diplomatic mission staff members who will act as electoral officials at their respective foreign missions, stressed that the commission will not tolerate laxity by electoral staff in the undertaking of their duties or any conduct that compromises the commission’s commitment to upholding the integrity of the electoral process.

‘Section 65 of the Electoral Act provides for the commission to make appointments and withdraw such appointments in the event of negligence of duties. The penalties are outlined in Section 176 of the Act. You wil
l be fully briefed about these penalties as part of this training,’ she outlined.

The training is aimed at enabling the officials to understand their roles and responsibilities and to impart technical skills that will help them discharge their responsibilities.

The officials are expected to assist the commission in managing, directing, supervising and controlling all processes under their jurisdiction within the confines of the Electoral Act No. 5 of 2014.

Nghikembua added that as part of the preparations for the 2024 general registration of voters and Presidential and National Assembly Elections, the commission undertook a comprehensive electoral review process after the 2019 and 2020 Presidential and National Assembly Elections and the Regional Council and Local Authority Elections, respectively.

This review resulted in, amongst others, the enhancement of the current Mobile Voter Registration System into the Integrated Mobile Voter Registration System (IMVRS), an Integrated Solution, interfacing the vot
ers’ registration, identification and verification, registration of political parties and organisations/associations, among others.

‘The IMVRS leverages on technology to make voter registration more responsive and efficient, marking a significant milestone in our efforts to modernise and improve our electoral processes. The system incorporates advanced security and verification measures to ensure the integrity of the electoral processes.’

Nghikembua also noted that ballot papers will be used in the upcoming elections.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

KEETMANSHOOP: A 34-year-old man is expected to appear in the Karasburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday after he was allegedly found in possession of suspected stolen properties.

Namibian Police Force crime investigations coordinator for the ||Kharas Region, Deputy Commissioner Nikodemus Mbango in a crime report on Monday said the suspect was arrested on Sunday between 12h00 and 14h00 in the Westerkim residential area of Karasburg.

His arrest followed an intelligence-led operation conducted by serious crime detectives, special reserve force members and police intelligence.

The man was arrested in possession of items that were allegedly stolen during housebreakings earlier this year at Aussenkehr, Karasburg, and Ariamsvlei.

‘The operation was done in relation to the recent housebreaking incidents perpetrated by criminal syndicates in the area, and the complainants who fell victim to these housebreaking incidents have positively confirmed some of the items,’ he said.

Among some of the items recovered are rifl
es, a microwave, an ice maker machine, three television sets and a digital camera.

The suspect faces charges of possession of stolen property, possession of firearms without a licence, and possession of ammunition.

Mbango said three other suspects have been identified and are expected to be arrested and charged.

Meanwhile, the police at Tses are searching for 21-year-old Denzel Blauw who escaped from police custody at the village Sunday afternoon.

‘It is alleged that the inmate was taken out of the holding cells to be charged and after being charged he was left in the care of the two members on duty, who failed to take him back into the cell immediately. When they started looking for him after a few minutes they could not find him,’ he said.

Mbango added that a case of aiding escape will be opened against the members involved.

Police investigations into both matters continue.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency