Niël Terblanché
THE mortal remains of seven Namibian men, who were killed during an armed confrontation with Zambian Police officers in Lusaka, have been returned to their families.
Zambian media reported that the 42-year-old Samuel Kambonde, Haitemba Elifas (40), David Alfeus Mweuxwangue (39), Wolson Natangwe Tetela (39), Patrick Waandja (34). Daniel Natangwe Mbishi (32) and the 28-year-old Elifas Ndeshikeya were gunned down on the evening of 6 December in the Makeni Simson Area of the Zambian Capital.
Esther Mwaata Katongo, Public Relations Officer of the Zambian Police stated at the time that seven notorious criminals suspected to be foreign nationals died during an exchange of fire with police. After the shootout police officers recovered four firearms among them, three pistols and one revolver and different kinds of ammunition.
“The gang of criminals are suspected to have been behind a spate of aggravated robberies targeting foreign nationals experienced in Lusaka.”
The shootout occurred between 19:00 and 20:00 in Lusaka’s Makeni Simson area after Police received a tip off from members of the public that suspected criminals were about to stage an armed robbery in the area.
After the armed confrontation, a search of a motor vehicle which the criminals were using, a silver Toyota Ipsum with registration number ALX 8160, resulted in the discovery of a further 36 rounds of ammunition for a revolver, two number plates bearing registration numbers AAJ 4317 and ABM 9712, two balaclavas, 22 assorted cell phones, assorted amounts of cash in Chinese, Indian, Zimbabwean, Malawian and Singaporean currencies.
The bodies were taken to a university mortuary awaiting identification and post mortem examinations to be performed.
We therefore warn all those planning to commit offences taking advantage of the festive period to reconsider their plans or face the consequences.
Since the seven men were gunned down in Lusaka, their families travelled to Lusaka where they approached the Zambian authorities and officials of the Ministry of International Relations an Cooperation to assist them to positively identify the deceased persons and to repatriate the mortal remains.
The autopsy process in Lusaka however took longer than expected and the bodies of the seven men arrived in Namibia by road from Lusaka on Saturday morning.