By: Kelvin Chiringa
One man was stabbed during an altercation at erf 198 Katutura East along the Sageus Kavandje street this week when he came to the defence of his brother, who was being violently evicted from a house their father used to live in.
David Nghiwilepo (27) has now opened a criminal case of assault to do grievous bodily harm after suffering a stab wound to the head while defending his brother Kondjeni Nghiwilepo (37).
The Nghiwilepos have blamed the Katutura East Constituency Councilor, Richard Gaoseb, whom they have accused of siding with the family that evicted them and encouraging violence.
They allege that the place used to be owned by their father’s brother (Herman Nghiwilepo), who in turn gave the backyard to their father (Jonas Nghiwilepo) through a verbal agreement.
They have also said that after their father’s brother died, his wife brought in his sister, whose children have now allegedly violently kicked them out.
“Those people are receiving orders from the councillor from Katutura East to evict us due to a verbal agreement that was supposed to be implemented but nothing happened. The councillor is now ordering them to be violent,” he said.
He added, “The councillor’s handling of this case is not fair. The house is not even the councillor’s. The house is in the name of my father’s brother, who died. According to the agreement they had in the past, he was supposed to build his (father) a house in his (uncle’s) yard and work together as a family.”
David’s brother, whose properties were thrown our said he has also tried to open a case with the police.
“They started quarrelling, took a knife and stabbed us. We called the police who just picked up the two guys and they did not open a case. I said listen here, I have a case because they broke into my house. What must I do? They said no, just wait.
“I then went to the police investigator and asked her what has happened with my case because they broke and threw my things out. I was told that I would be called on Monday. The councillor told these people that they must take my things out without my permission,” he said.
He said they grew up in the same place where they stayed in the backyard.
“We grew there all of us and now they are fighting for the place, asking us to go out without proper papers. There was violence. The guys were violent. They damaged windows. I have now moved to my sister’s place in Otjomuise. But they kept threatening me,” said Kondjeni.
However, the councillor has also hit back, saying that the brothers failed to cooperate and chose to be rude to her and a CDC member.
He said they have no entitlement to the house because it used to be used by their father who has long left at the back of a verbal agreement that he would be compensated and the house taken over.
“First of all, tell me this: If your father and my father have an agreement that your father must stay at our premises for some long time, and your father decides to go back home and after long meetings your father says no pay me N$20 000 then I am going to leave your premises and people agree, do you as a child just come out of the blue and say I am not going to move out of somebody else’s property? Is it fair?
“I was called to these meetings to mediate everything. They want me to say they must stay. I tried to help them nicely. These children are ill-disciplined. Very much ill-disciplined. They are very rude. They don’t have respect for the next person. That is why I told them go to the police and tell them your case,” said Gaoseb.
He also said the stabbing incident only happened after David became violent in the first place during the eviction.
“I was informed about that incident. But go back and ask him what was he having. He even disrespected a CDC member who was trying to help them. Listen, go and ask him what he did to that person that attacked him,” he said.
