Motorcade causes crash

A POLICE bakkie acting as the ‘sweeper vehicle’ – clearing the road for the presidential motorcade – crashed into a civilian vehicle with three occupants between Walvis Bay and Swakopmund yesterday.

According to eyewitnesses, the Police bakkie was hot on the heels of a Mercedes Benz, signalling to it to pull off the road in order for the fast-moving presidential motorcade to pass. The two vehicles collided and both smashed through a barrier and plummeted two metres to the beach before coming to a standstill on the high-water mark.The accident happened at ‘Boere Beach’ just south of Swakopmund. The presidential motorcade’s ambulance allegedly stopped to assist the Police driver, Inspector Tobias Gerber, and left the scene before paramedics arrived to help the civilians. It is alleged that Gerber sustained no injuries.The occupants of the Mercedes, sisters A Povanhu (26) and MV Povanhu (22), and David Elia (37), allegedly sustained slight injuries. Elia was taken to a hospital in Swakopmund for observation. All of them had apparently been wearing seatbelts.The accident happened at about 11h30, shortly before President Hifikepunye Pohamba was to commission Areva’s desalination plant just north of Wlotzkasbaken. The event was scheduled to begin at 11h00, but the President arrived after 12h00.The Namibian, while waiting for the President at the Areva plant, received several calls from people reporting an ‘horrific accident’ in which some were convinced that there had been fatalities.The Namibian contacted the Chief of Protocol of the Office of the President, Mbapeua Muvangua, to inquire whether the presidential motorcade had been involved in this accident.’I don’t know of any of our vehicles being in an accident. I was in the motorcade, and I didn’t see anything happening. The best would be to ask the Police,’ he told The Namibian.Deputy Commissioner Andrew Iyambo of the Erongo Police said he could not give information since he was ‘still in the motorcade’.NamPol’s Deputy Commissioner Hophni Hamufungu was not aware of the incident when contacted yesterday afternoon.He said he would return with information but had not done so by the time of going to press.