Knife crime soars
Okapi knives, youth and boozy nights are frequent fatal elements in male-on-male murder cases, an analysis of these violent crimes from the past six months shows.
A Namibian Sun overview of crime reports dating back to May shows that at least 38 cases of murder and 25 of attempted murder involving male suspects and male victims were opened.
Twenty-eight, or 73%, of the murder cases were stabbings, as were 40% of the attempted murder cases. Moreover, 38 of the 65 male-on-male murder and attempted murder cases were linked to drinking.
It is likely alcohol was present in more of these crimes, as initial police crime reports do not always indicate whether alcohol was a factor. Okapi knives are the most popular murder weapons.
These cheap pocketknives are not only popular in Namibia, but in southern Africa as a whole, and have earned the nickname 'the Saturday night special' due to their close association with crimes, especially over weekends and at party hotspots.
Guns are another popular weapon in these kinds of crimes.
Drunken arguments are most often mentioned as the catalyst of such crimes.
While knives and guns dominate, there have been reports of blunt instruments such as planks used to kill a drinking companion, but these are rare.
In contrast, domestic murders are increasingly linked to axes. Three women have died since September from wounds inflicted on them by their axe-wielding boyfriends.
Motives are not often mentioned, and many crime reports simply state that an argument broke out at a bar between the suspect and victim, which resulted in a stabbing.
Fights over money, beer or cigarettes were cited as motives in at least three cases since May.
National crime statistics from 2013, 2014 and 2015 indicate that assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm (GBH), common assault and rape were the most reported crimes in Namibia.
The Namibian police received 32 855 reports of assault GBH, 26 367 reports of common assault and a total of 3 128 reports of rape during that time. The numbers did not indicate the gender of the victims.
In addition, police crime statistics show that more than 1 100 cases of murder were reported between 2013 and 2015.
Out of the four categories into which murders are divided, the category with murder weapons other than firearms tops the list.
In 2013, 227 murders that did not involve firearms were reported, and 202 arrests were made.
In 2014, 261 murder cases that were not related to firearms were reported, and 222 arrests were made.
In 2015, 273 murders with another weapon were reported, and 255 arrests were made of which 44 were of juveniles.
Statistics from 2012 showed that 262 adult males were charged with murder, and 84 adult women were charged with murder.
Eighteen male juveniles were charged with murder and 12 female juveniles, younger than 18, were charged with murder.
Last year's crime statistics could not be obtained yesterday.
JANA-MARI SMITH
A Namibian Sun overview of crime reports dating back to May shows that at least 38 cases of murder and 25 of attempted murder involving male suspects and male victims were opened.
Twenty-eight, or 73%, of the murder cases were stabbings, as were 40% of the attempted murder cases. Moreover, 38 of the 65 male-on-male murder and attempted murder cases were linked to drinking.
It is likely alcohol was present in more of these crimes, as initial police crime reports do not always indicate whether alcohol was a factor. Okapi knives are the most popular murder weapons.
These cheap pocketknives are not only popular in Namibia, but in southern Africa as a whole, and have earned the nickname 'the Saturday night special' due to their close association with crimes, especially over weekends and at party hotspots.
Guns are another popular weapon in these kinds of crimes.
Drunken arguments are most often mentioned as the catalyst of such crimes.
While knives and guns dominate, there have been reports of blunt instruments such as planks used to kill a drinking companion, but these are rare.
In contrast, domestic murders are increasingly linked to axes. Three women have died since September from wounds inflicted on them by their axe-wielding boyfriends.
Motives are not often mentioned, and many crime reports simply state that an argument broke out at a bar between the suspect and victim, which resulted in a stabbing.
Fights over money, beer or cigarettes were cited as motives in at least three cases since May.
National crime statistics from 2013, 2014 and 2015 indicate that assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm (GBH), common assault and rape were the most reported crimes in Namibia.
The Namibian police received 32 855 reports of assault GBH, 26 367 reports of common assault and a total of 3 128 reports of rape during that time. The numbers did not indicate the gender of the victims.
In addition, police crime statistics show that more than 1 100 cases of murder were reported between 2013 and 2015.
Out of the four categories into which murders are divided, the category with murder weapons other than firearms tops the list.
In 2013, 227 murders that did not involve firearms were reported, and 202 arrests were made.
In 2014, 261 murder cases that were not related to firearms were reported, and 222 arrests were made.
In 2015, 273 murders with another weapon were reported, and 255 arrests were made of which 44 were of juveniles.
Statistics from 2012 showed that 262 adult males were charged with murder, and 84 adult women were charged with murder.
Eighteen male juveniles were charged with murder and 12 female juveniles, younger than 18, were charged with murder.
Last year's crime statistics could not be obtained yesterday.
JANA-MARI SMITH
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