No Police cells? Use a tree …

TWO men in the tiny village of Onanke in the Oshikoto Region were grabbed by Police and had their arms handcuffed around trees for more than 48 hours last month.

They were photographed by a member of the public who happened to pass by and saw the pair. One of the men, 38-year-old Saulus Kapiye, allegedly stole a live chicken from a neighbour, while the other man, known only as Pandu, is said to be an Angolan citizen whose work permit in Namibia had expired.Despite the allegations against them, neither was formally charged and both were apparently released more than two days after being arrested.Kapiye was arrested on Saturday, November 4, and released on Monday, November 6.Pandu is reported to have been held for the same period.Contacted about the incident yesterday, National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) director Phil ya Nangoloh said that his organisation had been aware of it and sent representatives to the scene to investigate.He said his organisation managed to speak to the alleged victims and a report has been compiled on the incident.According to Ya Nangoloh, Kapiye allegedly was in a drunken state and stole a chicken from a neighbour the night before he was arrested.The neighbour then informed the Police, and he was arrested at 08h00 the next day.After being handcuffed to a tree, he was apparently kicked and beaten with sticks by two officers.Kapiye and Pandu reportedly sustained injuries to their ribs and chest, while their hands were swollen.Both the NSHR’s Ya Nangoloh and the person who took the pictures of the men reported they had been coughing up blood.”They were not taken to hospital, and they were not formally charged,” Ya Nangoloh said, adding that Kapiye was released at around midday that Monday.Approached with the photographs yesterday, the Commanding Officer of the Namibian Police’s Public Relations department, Chief Inspector Hieronymus Goraseb, expressed regret.He said the regional commander for the Oshikoto Region, situated in Okatope, has already gone to Onanke to investigate, and the outcome of that investigation is being awaited.”Unless these men showed signs of resisting arrest, or if they were violent and needed to be restrained, I can’t say that this was justified,” Goraseb said.Onanke, situated approximately 45 km west of Omuthiya, only has a Police sub-station and is not equipped with holding cells.As a result, trial-awaiting prisoners are normally sent to Okatope for imprisonment.One of the men, 38-year-old Saulus Kapiye, allegedly stole a live chicken from a neighbour, while the other man, known only as Pandu, is said to be an Angolan citizen whose work permit in Namibia had expired.Despite the allegations against them, neither was formally charged and both were apparently released more than two days after being arrested.Kapiye was arrested on Saturday, November 4, and released on Monday, November 6.Pandu is reported to have been held for the same period.Contacted about the incident yesterday, National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) director Phil ya Nangoloh said that his organisation had been aware of it and sent representatives to the scene to investigate.He said his organisation managed to speak to the alleged victims and a report has been compiled on the incident.According to Ya Nangoloh, Kapiye allegedly was in a drunken state and stole a chicken from a neighbour the night before he was arrested.The neighbour then informed the Police, and he was arrested at 08h00 the next day.After being handcuffed to a tree, he was apparently kicked and beaten with sticks by two officers.Kapiye and Pandu reportedly sustained injuries to their ribs and chest, while their hands were swollen.Both the NSHR’s Ya Nangoloh and the person who took the pictures of the men reported they had been coughing up blood.”They were not taken to hospital, and they were not formally charged,” Ya Nangoloh said, adding that Kapiye was released at around midday that Monday.Approached with the photographs yesterday, the Commanding Officer of the Namibian Police’s Public Relations department, Chief Inspector Hieronymus Goraseb, expressed regret.He said the regional commander for the Oshikoto Region, situated in Okatope, has already gone to Onanke to investigate, and the outcome of that investigation is being awaited.”Unless these men showed signs of resisting arrest, or if they were violent and needed to be restrained, I can’t say that this was justified,” Goraseb said.Onanke, situated approximately 45 km west of Omuthiya, only has a Police sub-station and is not equipped with holding cells.As a result, trial-awaiting prisoners are normally sent to Okatope for imprisonment.