Shooting triggers looting
Two Chinese shop owners are expected to appear in court today in connection with the shooting of an employee, while officials have urged local communities to stay calm.
KENYA KAMBOWE
The family of a man who was shot at Andara village in the Kavango East Region, allegedly by his employers, say they were shocked by the manner of his death.
Muyevu Haushiku (32) died last week Wednesday after he was shot several times outside the Chinese supermarket at Andara where he worked.
He was declared dead upon arrival at the Andara Roman Catholic Hospital, which is about 300 metres from the shop.
The two suspects - both Chinese nationals - are expected to appear before the Rundu Magistrate’s Court today.
Haushiku’s uncle, Ndhango Thiteketa, who lives at the nearby Bagani village, described his nephew as “a joker” who rarely got angry.
Thiteketa said he last saw his nephew alive on 8 April when he left for Andara to work at the Chinese-owned shop.
“It’s really bad how my nephew died. He was not an animal to be shot and left to die the way he did,” Thiteketa said.
“I raised him and he was a person who did not get angry very easily or start a fight. He liked making jokes most of the time and that’s how I remember him.”
Thiteketa said Haushiku had been a casual worker at several Chinese shops at Divundu and started working at the shop at Andara this month.
Preliminary police reports indicate that the shooting happened after one of the suspects decided to fire Haushiku without compensation.
Haushiku allegedly demanded severance pay and this led to an argument.
The second suspect, who allegedly had two guns in his possession, arrived from Divundu minutes later.
Community members said after the shooting the two shop owners went back into the shop and waited there until the police arrived and arrested them.
Haushiku will be buried at Bagani village on Thursday.
Thiteketa said the family had been in contact with Chinese officials who are assisting with the funeral arrangements.
He said although the family appreciated the assistance, the pain of losing a loved one was too much to bear and they expected justice from the courts.
CHINESE SHOPS LOOTED
On Wednesday evening, just hours after the killing, reports surfaced that people were looting the shop at Andara, as well as Chinese-owned shops at Kangongo and at Mayara village in Mukwe constituency.
The police deployed officers to these communities to contain the situation and recovered some of the looted items.
The incident prompted the Chinese embassy in Windhoek to issue a statement expressing condolences to the bereaved family and urging people to remain calm and allow justice to prevail in the courts of law.
“The Chinese embassy in Namibia deeply regrets the criminal case at Divundu in the Kavango East Region on 17 April during which a Namibian was killed,” the statement read.
“We would like to express our condolences ... and sincere sympathy to the bereaved families. We call on all relevant parties to keep calm, deal with the case in legal procedure, and avoid the re-occurrence of vicious events such as beating, smashing and looting (sic).”
However, angry community members in Mukwe constituency demanded that all Chinese-owned shops in their area be closed indefinitely.
A protest march planned for Saturday did not go ahead because the organisers had not obtained permission from the police.
FOREIGNERS OWNING FIREARMS
The Andara shooting also sparked debate about whether foreigners are allowed to own firearms in Namibia.
Mukwe constituency councillor John Thiguru was one of those who questioned whether foreign citizens were issued gun licences.
When contacted for comment, police chief Sebastian Ndeitunga said foreigners who have work permits or permanent residence permits have the right to register guns in Namibia.
“There are not many restrictions on the ownership of small firearms by foreign nationals living in Namibia,” Ndeitunga said.
He could not immediately say what the legal status of the two suspects was, or whether their guns had been legally obtained.
The family of a man who was shot at Andara village in the Kavango East Region, allegedly by his employers, say they were shocked by the manner of his death.
Muyevu Haushiku (32) died last week Wednesday after he was shot several times outside the Chinese supermarket at Andara where he worked.
He was declared dead upon arrival at the Andara Roman Catholic Hospital, which is about 300 metres from the shop.
The two suspects - both Chinese nationals - are expected to appear before the Rundu Magistrate’s Court today.
Haushiku’s uncle, Ndhango Thiteketa, who lives at the nearby Bagani village, described his nephew as “a joker” who rarely got angry.
Thiteketa said he last saw his nephew alive on 8 April when he left for Andara to work at the Chinese-owned shop.
“It’s really bad how my nephew died. He was not an animal to be shot and left to die the way he did,” Thiteketa said.
“I raised him and he was a person who did not get angry very easily or start a fight. He liked making jokes most of the time and that’s how I remember him.”
Thiteketa said Haushiku had been a casual worker at several Chinese shops at Divundu and started working at the shop at Andara this month.
Preliminary police reports indicate that the shooting happened after one of the suspects decided to fire Haushiku without compensation.
Haushiku allegedly demanded severance pay and this led to an argument.
The second suspect, who allegedly had two guns in his possession, arrived from Divundu minutes later.
Community members said after the shooting the two shop owners went back into the shop and waited there until the police arrived and arrested them.
Haushiku will be buried at Bagani village on Thursday.
Thiteketa said the family had been in contact with Chinese officials who are assisting with the funeral arrangements.
He said although the family appreciated the assistance, the pain of losing a loved one was too much to bear and they expected justice from the courts.
CHINESE SHOPS LOOTED
On Wednesday evening, just hours after the killing, reports surfaced that people were looting the shop at Andara, as well as Chinese-owned shops at Kangongo and at Mayara village in Mukwe constituency.
The police deployed officers to these communities to contain the situation and recovered some of the looted items.
The incident prompted the Chinese embassy in Windhoek to issue a statement expressing condolences to the bereaved family and urging people to remain calm and allow justice to prevail in the courts of law.
“The Chinese embassy in Namibia deeply regrets the criminal case at Divundu in the Kavango East Region on 17 April during which a Namibian was killed,” the statement read.
“We would like to express our condolences ... and sincere sympathy to the bereaved families. We call on all relevant parties to keep calm, deal with the case in legal procedure, and avoid the re-occurrence of vicious events such as beating, smashing and looting (sic).”
However, angry community members in Mukwe constituency demanded that all Chinese-owned shops in their area be closed indefinitely.
A protest march planned for Saturday did not go ahead because the organisers had not obtained permission from the police.
FOREIGNERS OWNING FIREARMS
The Andara shooting also sparked debate about whether foreigners are allowed to own firearms in Namibia.
Mukwe constituency councillor John Thiguru was one of those who questioned whether foreign citizens were issued gun licences.
When contacted for comment, police chief Sebastian Ndeitunga said foreigners who have work permits or permanent residence permits have the right to register guns in Namibia.
“There are not many restrictions on the ownership of small firearms by foreign nationals living in Namibia,” Ndeitunga said.
He could not immediately say what the legal status of the two suspects was, or whether their guns had been legally obtained.
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