Police Yet to Summon Kandjii for Assault

Magreth Nunuhe

15 July 2011

Windhoek — A Herero Mall bar owner says she is shocked that Katutura Central Councillor Ambrosius Kandjii has not yet been summoned for allegedly assaulting her last Saturday.

Makena Siwogedi, owner of ‘Kapana Bar’ filed a case of assault against Kandjii, case number CR265/07/2011, on Sunday, after the police apparently gave her the run-around on Saturday, telling her that she could not open a case until she spoke to the station commander of Katutura Police Station.

Up until now, she says, she has not been given a date on which Kandjii would appear in court on the alleged assault case.

At a press conference that was also attended by DTA president Katuutire Kaura and Arnold Tjihuiko, of Nudo, on Wednesday, Siwogedi related her experience to a crowd that had gathered at Herero Mall.

“When I told them what the councillor had done to me, they (police) were looking at each other in a funny way before telling me to wait for the station commander,” she said.

Apparently, when Kandjii arrived at the police station between 13h00 and 14h00, the police officers took him to a separate room, where a man he brought along with gave a witness’ statement even though he was not at the scene when the scuffle between the two took place.

Siwogedi is alleging that Kandjii pulled her hair and hit her against the burglar bars for not lowering the volume of music at her bar.

After Kandjii made a counter case, the officers apparently took her fingerprints and gave her a warning letter.

She recounted how the police officers downplayed her complaints and told her she would not get anywhere with the case against the councillor.

“Why were the complaints of the lady (Siwogedi) not taken?” asked Flagon Tjivasera, member of the Herero Mall Committee, emphasizing that everybody has the right to lodge a complaint.

He said it was not for the police to decide who should open a case or not.

He alleged that when the police took her statement, they did not want to show her what they had written and gave them a wrong CR of a burglary case.

“We want the nation to know what is going on,” he said. On the issue of closing down the mall, Tjavesora charged that Kandjii has a business on Clemens Kapuuo Street, near the mall. That is why he wants to close down the area so that he can get all the customers.

When approached for comment, Katutura Police Station Commander Basson said he was aware of the case opened against the councillor but referred all further questions to Unit Commander Ndaambeni, who declined to give information regarding the case.

“I can’t give you answers, I am not allowed to give you that information,” said Ndaambeni, referring all matters to Chief Inspector Angula Amulungu who could not be reached for comment.

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