A KEETMANSHOOP resident claims Namibian Defence Force (NDF) members and members of the Namibian Police, who were on patrol enforcing the countrywide nine o’clock curfew on Monday, assaulted him.
Andrew Mbangu (24), a student at the Namibian Institute of Mining and Technology (Nimt), says he was walking to a tuck shop with friends at around 20h45.
The shop is about 500 metres from his parents’ house, he says.
Mbangu says law-enforcement officers then approached them from behind in a police van.
They yelled at them to run home, reprimanding them for not wearing masks, he says.
Mbangu says he told the officers his home was closeby, but he couldn’t run due to a foot injury.
When officers jumped off the van, he started running home, the student says.
He says he was then chased by the men until he reached and entered his house.
They then said “the polite thing to do was to come out of the house”, Mbangu says.
When he did not respond to this request, an NDF member entered his parents’ house and dragged him outside, grabbing him by his private parts, he says.
“Outside the house he started kicking me, and a few seconds later he was joined by two of his colleagues. I just covered my face with my hands while the three officers continued kicking me until my mum came out of the house,” Mbangu says.
The student claims other people were also roaming the streets, but the law enforcers only targeted him and his friends.
“I don’t understand why they only targeted us,” he says.
Mbangu says he opened an assault case against his alleged assailants.
A medical report seen by shows Mbangu sustained abrasions and bruises to his pelvis, knees and left forearm.
His left hand was also wounded, the report says.
Allen Mbangu, the student’s father, expressed his disappointment over the incident.
“Yes, the police are there to enforce the law and to protect civilians, but now they beat up people they are supposed to protect,” he says.
Mbangu says the police could have issued his son a warning or even arrested him, instead of beating him up.
“It pains me if those supposed to protect, assault,” he says.
Commissioner David Indongo, regional commander of the //Kharas police, confirmed a case has been opened regarding the incident.
“An internal investigation into the matter has been launched,” he says.
– luqman@namibian.com.na
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