Maria David
A PASTOR is among the four people who were granted bail of N$500 by the Ondangwa Magistrate’s Court on Thursday while another pastor is on the run from the police in the Oshikoto Region.
This comes after the five people were charged with defamation of character, alternatively contravening Witchcraft Suppression Proclamation 27 of 1933.
The accused are Pastor Benjamin Ndjebela (39), Veronika Dula (53), Emilia Kawaya (32) and Delemina Haulamba (17). The name of the runaway pastor is not known.
The four were arrested on 15 January 2022 around 12:00 at Onamishu village in the Omuthiya area.
Oshikoto Regional Commander Commissioner Armas Shivute said the complainant was allegedly called names, including a witch.
“The suspects allegedly continue dirtying the complainant’s name that she is ‘witching’ them and because she has a snake,” said Shivute.
Shivute indicated that the accusations started when one of the pastors was sick and taken to the local revival churches.
He reportedly told some people that the complainant bewitched him and they, in turn, spread the word.
The four appeared in Ondangwa Magistrate’s Court on 17 March.
The case was postponed until 30 August 2022 for further investigation.
