Niël Terblanché
THE people residing in the Sekunga Conservancy will share in the award money that was put up to trace the man suspected of raping and robbing a Swedish national while she was walking along the Zambezi River in January.
Namibia’s premier private tourism operators, Gondwana Collection contributed N$5 000 in cash along with other operators in the area as reward money to trace the 38-year-old Lubembo Bornface Masule election who was identified as the robbing rapist shortly after the incident on the banks of the Zambezi River in January this year.
Gys Joubert, the Managing Director of Gondwana Collection said that in the aftermath of the violent incident in January, employees of the company supported the victim although the attack did not occur on any of the company’s property. He added that since the visitor returned to her country of origin the Gondwana workers kept in contact with her to update her on the progress of the search for the culprit.
“We felt a great sense of relief when we heard that the suspect was apprehended. We are grateful to the Namibian Police for their professional conduct in this regard and for the coordination with the local communities. We trust that justice will prevail,” Joubert said.
It is suspected that Masule fled to Zambia after he raped and robbed his 60-year-old victim. He, whoever returned to the Nakabolelwa area in the Kabbe South Constituency at the end of March.
The suspect’s presence in the area was reported to the Namibian Police in the Zambezi Region and he was arrested shortly afterward.
Besides raping the elderly woman, Masule also robbed her of N$10 637 in cash, a mobile phone, a pair of binoculars, her hat and rain jacket, a leather case, camera equipment as well as her backpack.
None of the stolen money or goods has been recovered when the suspect was arrested.
Masule made his first appearance in the Katima Mulilo Magistrate’s Court almost two weeks ago.
Magistrate Boyd Namushinga postponed the matter to the 7th of September 2021 before he remanded the accused person in police custody.
The case was postponed to enable the police to investigate the matter further.
Joubert said that the reward was put up to trace the suspect and that the entire initiative came from the people of the Sikunga Conservancy. He added that the conservancy management is responsible for determining to whom the reward money will be paid or how the funds will be used to improve the operations of the conservancy.
The Sikunga Conservancy specializes in conserving wildlife along the Zambezi River but is specifically focused on protecting the area from overfishing by unscrupulous traders from Zambia, Botswana, and Namibia.
