‘Kafu’ denied bail in wife-beating case

Staunch Swapo Party foot soldier in the Kavango West Region, Simuku Paulus Karembera was yesterday denied bail in the Rundu Magistrate’s Court after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife last week.

Karembera (38), well known as Kafu KaNamibia, appeared before Magistrate Adelinu Hailonga, who postponed the matter to 26 July after the accused’s lawyer Bernard Tjatjara said they would launch a formal bail application.

The State objected to bail, saying it is not the interest of the public nor that of the administration of justice for the suspect to be released.

Karembera’s wife, the complainant, also objected to bail.

He was arrested last Friday after he allegedly assaulted Vistoline Nangafa Mandume (38) last Tuesday. He faces a count of assault with the intent to cause gross bodily harm, read with the Domestic Violence Act.

Mandume, who suffered an injury to her left knee, in her statement indicated that it is not the first time her husband has assaulted her.

The couple have three children together.

Namibian Sun has established that the pair, who got married in 2008, are no longer living together following a serious fallout in 2020.

Cold feet

At court yesterday, Namibian Sun was informed that the complainant was considering retracting her initial police statement as she allegedly no longer objects to her husband being released on bail.

It appears that her unemployment status and alleged pressure from the accused’s family is what has motivated this consideration.

Attempts to get comment from Madume proved futile at the time of going to print. She had earlier promised to grant this publication a tell-all interview about what happened.

The State, however, indicated that even if she changes her statement, it will go ahead with the case and bail can be objected to, even if she says otherwise.

‘I did not touch her’

Meanwhile, one of Karembera’s close friends told Namibian Sun that a day before the police apprehended him, he had confided in his friend, saying he was aware that the police were looking for him.

According to the source, Karembera told him that he “did not touch” his wife and that she sustained the injury after falling to the ground.

According to the source, on the day of the incident, one of the couple’s children told their father that they are in need of food.

While he was at the house the children share with their mother, Madume allegedly “appeared out of nowhere”, which resulted in a commotion that led to her injury.

“He told me that one of the children asked for food and then he went to buy [it] and took it to their house. While he was at the house, the complainant arrived and she was intoxicated.

"She then threw him with a beer bottle but she missed,” the friend narrated.

“After she missed with the bottle, she then saw a stone and picked it up to throw at him. In the process, she slipped and fell to the ground. That is how she apparently got the injury on her knee.”

Swapo factor

Karembera is known for his outspoken personality and for a character known as Kafu KaNamibia, who regards himself as a Swapo Party foot soldier who mostly engages supporters on various social media platforms.

He is also a pro-Kavango activist who has been vocal in calling out leaders for “neglecting” residents in those regions, as well as speaking out on social issues affecting Namibians.

Karembera is also a businessman who owns a restaurant and a car wash in Nkurenkuru.

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