He was not stabbed at my bar – Masipiri owner

The owner of Maspiri Bar in Windhoek, Lukas Kambo, says that a fatal stabbing that happened over the weekend did not take place at his bar.

His denial comes after media reports of a murder in Windhoek on Friday as announced in the police weekly crime report.

Kambo told The Namibian yesterday he was at the bar until it closed and he was not aware of any fights or a stabbing over the weekend. He said he only found out the following morning that someone was stabbed with a knife in the back street about 150 metres from his bar.

“Nobody was stabbed at my bar, but now in the morning I saw reports that the incident happened at my bar,” he said.

“How come that person was stabbed on the back street and the police used my bar’s name?”

He said he was disappointed and feared losing business.

“You know, this can tarnish somebody’s name. People that like to come to my bar will stop coming here because of this mistake,” he said.

Khomas police deputy commander commissioner Chrispin Mubebo yesterday clarified that the man was allegedly stabbed at the corner of Eveline Street.

“However, the people were drinking at Masipiri Bar and the person was allegedly stabbed at the corner of Eveline and Justine streets,” he said.

The initial police report noted that the deceased was stabbed and died at the corner of Eveline and Justine streets.

The police report also alleged that the deceased was stabbed with a knife while in the company of friends drinking in Masipiri Bar after an argument erupted with the two groups over a two litre bottle of Castelo which went missing in the suspect’s taxi.

“The alleged suspect was apparently found with an okapi knife and a screwdriver, while the deceased was in the suspect’s vehicle, a red VW Polo taxi, which was driven by a friend of the deceased, with an attempt to take him to the hospital,” the report stated.

According to the police, it is alleged that the deceased was stabbed with a knife while in the company of friends at a bar, after an argument over wine which had gone missing in the suspect’s taxi.

Last week, the police were forced to issue an apology to the owner of Bix CarWash, Benjamin Kambala, after allegedly causing the business reputational damage by reporting that a man was murdered at his business’ premises.

This followed national police spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi in the police’s weekend crime report saying Brave Kavari (49) was stabbed to death at the Katutura business.

Kambala said the report was a deviation from the truth and demanded that the police issue an apology with the right information.

According to the apology, which was released on Tuesday, the incident took place in Saima A Street, Katutura, between Bix CarWash and Single Quarters.