NDF officer accused in horror kidnapping case

A NAMIBIA Defence Force captain appeared in court at Rundu this week charged with kidnapping, assault [grievous bodily harm] and stock theft.

A 39-year-old farmer from the Kavango Region, Ambrosius Haimbili, was allegedly doused with petrol, threatened with death, made to dig and lie in shallow graves and assaulted for three days, allegedly at the hands of the captain and three other men. At one stage Haimbili was allegedly “hidden” at the town’s military base.His family have described the experience as traumatic.Captain Tobias Nujoma, who is based at Rundu, appeared in the Rundu Magistrate’s Court on Monday, along with three co-accused – Raphael Sikarepo, Nghikwala Shikongo and Jonas Nakashe.Haimbili was accused of allegedly stealing cattle from Nujoma, a charge that was later dismissed by a tribal court.Nujoma and the three men reportedly kidnapped him from a farm in the Etenderera 3 area late last Sunday to help track the “stolen” animals.Nujoma farms about 25 kilometres away from Haimbili.Haimbili’s brother, Bartholomeus Muntenda, on whose farm the incident occurred, told The Namibian this week how he was drawn into a wild goose chase of several hundred kilometres in search of his brother.According to statements made to the Police, Haimbili denied having stolen the cattle but told Nujoma that foreign animals had crossed the property on which he farms.The two neighbouring areas of the Kwangali and Kwanyama traditional authorities in the far-western Kavango have had long-standing quarrels over cross-border grazing.Haimbili said he had kept a calf in his kraal to prove that stray animals had crossed his farm.Nujoma reportedly found this explanation unacceptable and allegedly forced Haimbili into his vehicle and threatened to kill him if he did not show him where the animals were “hidden”.On the way to Rundu almost 200 kilometres away, Nujoma and three men in his company allegedly tortured Haimbili.He was threatened with a knife, beaten and made to lie in a shallow grave.Police Regional Commander Olavi Auanga confirmed the incident yesterday.He said Nujoma and his three co-accused had allegedly hidden Haimbili at the town’s military base that night where they had continued to torture him.The next day Haimbili was driven to several farms including that of his parents in search of the cattle.In the valley of the Manyana area, Haimbili was made to dig a hole and lie in it, while his assailants poured petrol over his buttocks and thighs, before they overnighted near Elazi.After they failed to find the animals, Nujoma allegedly approached the Kwangali chief on May 25 to punish Haimbili for the theft of his cattle.On that day, he also travelled to Haimbili’s farm and loaded up 17 cattle in compensation for his loss.The chief ordered that Nujoma return to a tribal court with witnesses to the alleged theft on that Thursday.When Muntenda arrived at the chief’s on Wednesday in search of his brother, he was told that Haimbili had been there, was severely injured and could barely walk and struggled to sit.”When I saw him on the Thursday morning he was in misery.He didn’t look good.He had wounds on his cheeks, lips and legs,” recalled Muntenda.The chief ruled that Haimbili could not have herded the allegedly stolen cattle without having been seen and ordered that he be freed.Nujoma allegedly attempted to escape arrest but was later detained by the Kahenge Police.He appeared before the Rundu’s Magistrate’s Court on Monday along with co-accused Raphael Sikarepo, Nghikwala Shikongo and Jonas Nakashe on charges of kidnapping, assault (grievous bodily harm) and stock theft.The case has been postponed to June 24.At one stage Haimbili was allegedly “hidden” at the town’s military base.His family have described the experience as traumatic.Captain Tobias Nujoma, who is based at Rundu, appeared in the Rundu Magistrate’s Court on Monday, along with three co-accused – Raphael Sikarepo, Nghikwala Shikongo and Jonas Nakashe.Haimbili was accused of allegedly stealing cattle from Nujoma, a charge that was later dismissed by a tribal court.Nujoma and the three men reportedly kidnapped him from a farm in the Etenderera 3 area late last Sunday to help track the “stolen” animals.Nujoma farms about 25 kilometres away from Haimbili.Haimbili’s brother, Bartholomeus Muntenda, on whose farm the incident occurred, told The Namibian this week how he was drawn into a wild goose chase of several hundred kilometres in search of his brother.According to statements made to the Police, Haimbili denied having stolen the cattle but told Nujoma that foreign animals had crossed the property on which he farms.The two neighbouring areas of the Kwangali and Kwanyama traditional authorities in the far-western Kavango have had long-standing quarrels over cross-border grazing.Haimbili said he had kept a calf in his kraal to prove that stray animals had crossed his farm.Nujoma reportedly found this explanation unacceptable and allegedly forced Haimbili into his vehicle and threatened to kill him if he did not show him where the animals were “hidden”.On the way to Rundu almost 200 kilometres away, Nujoma and three men in his company allegedly tortured Haimbili.He was threatened with a knife, beaten and made to lie in a shallow grave.Police Regional Commander Olavi Auanga confirmed the incident yesterday.He said Nujoma and his three co-accused had allegedly hidden Haimbili at the town’s military base that night where they had continued to torture him.The next day Haimbili was driven to several farms including that of his parents in search of the cattle.In the valley of the Manyana area, Haimbili was made to dig a hole and lie in it, while his assailants poured petrol over his buttocks and thighs, before they overnighted near Elazi.After they failed to find the animals, Nujoma allegedly approached the Kwangali chief on May 25 to punish Haimbili for the theft of his cattle.On that day, he also travelled to Haimbili’s farm and loaded up 17 cattle in compensation for his loss.The chief ordered that Nujoma return to a tribal court with witnesses to the alleged theft on that Thursday.When Muntenda arrived at the chief’s on Wednesday in search of his brother, he was told that Haimbili had been there, was severely injured and could barely walk and struggled to sit.”When I saw him on the Thursday morning he was in misery.He didn’t look good.He had wounds on his cheeks, lips and legs,” recalled Muntenda.The chief ruled that Haimbili could not have herded the allegedly stolen cattle without having been seen and ordered that he be freed.Nujoma allegedly attempted to escape arrest but was later detained by the Kahenge Police.He appeared before the Rundu’s Magistrate’s Court on Monday along with co-accused Raphael Sikarepo, Nghikwala Shikongo and Jonas Nakashe on charges of kidnapping, assault (grievous bodily harm) and stock theft.The case has been postponed to June 24.