ONDANGWA businessman and Okadhimeti village headman Petrus Shambo (60), whose scuffle with Ondando village resident Jesaya Nambundunga was recently filmed, says he did not intend to assault the latter, but acted in self-defence.
Shambo on Monday afternoon admitted to the tussle, saying he acted like a father disciplining his son.
He said the fight started when he asked Nambundunga to remove fencing materials he and other residents of Ondando erected on a gravel road leading to a sandpit from which Shambo and other Ondangwa businessmen extract sand.
Shambo said Nambundunga also tried to block the road with his vehicle, which was parked in the middle of the road.
“I asked him to remove the car so I could use the road. He then approached me, saying they did not want the road to be used, and threatened to beat me,” he said.
In an interview with Ondangwa-based radio station Shipi FM yesterday morning, Shambo said prior to the scuffle, Nambundunga punched him in the face twice.
“He also assaulted me with a spade and bit my chest. I held him down so he could not harm me further. I did not beat him as many people are saying. I just held him to the ground and held his arm. If I beat him, I only slapped him once or twice. I did this in self-defence,” he said.
Shambo said he opened a criminal case against Nambundunga.
Nambundunga earlier this week said he was not going to open a case against Shambo.
He said he was concerned about his environment being destroyed by people who do not have his community’s best interests at heart.
Shambo claimed sand mining promotes Oniipa’s development, and said those opposing this are disrespectful to Ondonga King Fillemon Nangolo.
“Sand mining has been there since the colonial dispensation. The dust they are complaining about . . . they coexisted with it. Why are they not complaining about a sewage dam built by the Finnish missionaries?” he asked.
The residents of Ondando have petitioned minister of environment, forestry and tourism Pohamba Shifeta to revoke the environment clearance certificate issued to the Ondonga Traditional Authority approving sand mining in the region.
About 30 villagers signed this petition.
They fear that if the ministry allows sand mining to continue, it would lead to a number of open sandpits, no pasture for their livestock, and no fields to grow crops.
They also fear children would drown in the sandpits.
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