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namib times
SERVING THE COASTAL COMMUNITY SINCE 1958 NO 6681 TUESDAY 29 AUGUST 2017 Tel: +264 64 - 205854 / +264 64 - 461866 /Fax: +264 64 - 204813 / 064 - 461824 / Website: www.namibtimes.net
Rising crime wave - CCTV system for Swakopmund again under the spotlight Deputy Mayor condemns murders of three elderly residents Erwin Leuschner
Swakopmund Deputy Mayor, Clr Maria Elago, has now taken a firm stance against the rising crime wave in the holiday town. She yesterday strongly condemned the recent slayings of three elderly people in Swakopmund. During a meeting yesterday, she said the Town Council will "pull up its socks and address these issues.� " A s t h e To w n Council, we condemn the brutal killing of our people. We wish to convey our heartfelt condolences to the families," she said. Elago was referring to the murder of the Strzelecki couple in their home at the beginning of August, followed by a second murder only two weeks later of Manfred Hartmann, also in his home. The suspect is still in hospital after he was allegedly shot by police officers at Outjo whilst attempting to evade arrest (namib times reported). In the weeks before the murders of the elderly people, a number of other senseless murders also shook Swakopmund, the wider coastal region and Erongo.
"Our community needs to change their behavior," Elago continued. She added that it is a "problem" as innocent people are being killed, just because the culprits wish to enrich themselves. "We need to change this behaviour. We need to organise meetings with the leaders of our community. We need to sit around one table, be it Constituency Councilors, the Governor, church leaders, teachers," she said. According to Elago the change in behavior should start with the children. Parents have the primary role, followed by teachers. "We have to talk to the youth about these issues", she said. Elago urged Swakopmund Town Councilors to push for a more aggressive enforcement of municipal by-laws, in an attempt to curb the
rising crime wave. "We need to pull up our socks and address the issue of hawkers, who are harassing our people and tourists", she said. The Deputy Mayor also said the implementation of a CCTV camera system in Swakopmund must be "brought back to the table and it needs to be fasttracked." As the main suspects in both of the abovementioned murder cases were employed with the victims, Elago said that the municipality together with the police is busy working on an initiative to have all domestic workers, especially those who are working for elderly people, go through a screening process and for them to be registered. "We want to take a holistic approach to reduce crime," she said. Similarly, the issue Continues on Page 2
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Vehicle on Beach - Police traces driver Page 2
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Erwin Leuschner Members of the Namibian Police traced the driver of this white Daihatsu sedan vehicle, which was found on the beach close to Vierkantklip, next to the B2 costal road early on Friday morning. The accident is believed to have happened just after 01:00, but initially there were no signs of the driver of this ill-fated vehicle.
According to Deputy Commissioner Erastus Iikuyu, police regional crime investigations coordinator for Erongo, the 27year old driver was found at his friend's house in the Mondesa suburb. "He alleged that he was alone in the vehicle during the incident and that he was trying
to avoid a head-on collision with an oncoming truck," Iikuyu said. The driver further stated that he did not sustain any but nonetheless complained of pain in his right shoulder. Why he absconded from the scene is unclear. The white sedan was initially reported by a passerby at about
01:15. It is suspected that the driver was travelling from the direction of Walvis Bay towards Swakopmund. The driver lost control over the vehicle. The car crashed through the barrier poles, rolled and landed on the beach where it was soon submerged by the surf. Continues on Page 2
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