The Office of the Ombudsman received 579 complaints of alleged police brutality from inmates and members of the public between 2021 and 2022.
The spokesperson of the Office of the Ombudsman, Aurelia David, told The Namibian recently that the Namibian Correctional Service has 269 cases of alleged police brutality.
“Most complaints from the correctional services are from inmates and a few are from friends and family of the inmates,” she said.
David said the cases they receive are mainly about the conditions of inmates regularly, mostly concerning inmates not being taken for medical care timely.
“A lack of blankets, assault by police officers, insufficient food, the general condition of holding cells such as broken toilets, water leakages, etc,” she said are some of the complaints they have.
David added that police brutality is not only a threat to the safety of inmates, but a violation of their right to safety and protection, which they are entitled to, despite being incarcerated.
Recently, a 44-year-old inmate at the Maltahöhe police station in Hardap was bitten by a black-necked cobra on his left arm, while allegedly awaiting trial.
According to the police weekly crime report, it is unknown how the snake entered the police cell.
The inmate was transferred to the Mariental State Hospital and later to the Katutura State Hospital, and is in a stable condition.
Police inspector general Joseph Shikongo said he will be in a better position to comment if all the cases involving police brutality are compiled and sent to his office.
“For me to talk about these cases without really having reflection on them I might not do justice to that. My office doors are open and I am personally ready to get into those cases and provide feedback on their status,” Shikongo said.
Correctional service commissioner general Raphael Hamunyela also said he cannot make general statements on the matter.
“I would like to get the data on some of these cases, then we can give you information on them,” he said.
He added that if he could get the document on the cases reported to the Office of the Ombudsman regarding police brutality, he would then be able to respond to the allegations.
Earlier this week, a local publication published a report on seven men in the Windhoek Central Prison demanding N$1,5 million each for alleged assault and torture by 20 members of the Namibian Correctional Service.
Between 2020 and 2021, the police registered 248 civil cases of police brutality.
Last month, Keetmanshoop community members in the //Kharas region marched to protest against police brutality following the death of Elleste Plaatjies (31) on 18 January after members of the Namibian Police’s Special Reserve Force reportedly fatally assaulted him.
The ombudsman’s office on its Facebook page also said it recorded a total of 598 complaints against the Namibian Police in 2020m, making the Namibian Police the institution most complained about in the country.
Community members in different parts of the country have also been protesting against police brutality for years.
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