Suburban women tackle robbers

Five Rocky Crest women on Friday night successfully chased down and captured one of three robbers who stole the handbag of Faustina Caley, a member of parliament, while she was sitting in her parked car.

Caley, along with her daughter Maria, were attending a memorial service for the late Rosa Kavara when the three men suddenly appeared and grabbed her handbag.

The five women who were in the vicinity witnessed the robbery and immediately gave chase, running behind the men through several properties and finally pinning one down.

He was arrested by police officers shortly after the women made their citizen's arrest.

The two accomplices, one of whom witnesses say could have been armed, and the man who ran off with the handbag, have not been arrested to date.

On Friday evening, the third robber would not provide any further information at the scene of the crime.



Tragedy and heroism

The body of 10-year-old Lee-Wayne Delwin Nanubeb was finally located late on Saturday approximately 12 kilometres from where he drowned in Henties Bay, about four days after the tragedy occurred.





“The deceased has been identified by the mother and the body was transported to police mortuary for post-mortem,” crime investigation coordinator in the Erongo Region, Deputy Commissioner Erastus Iikuyu, confirmed on Saturday.

The drowning made headlines last week, and has cemented the title of national hero for 14-year-old Dylan Davey !Gaoseb, who rescued two of the five boys that were suddenly caught up in a strong rip current on Wednesday.

!Gaoseb, better known in his neighbourhood as 'Boo Boo', rescued two of the boys, the youngest of whom was six.

Two of the other boys eventually managed to make it to shore by themselves.

!Goaseb was walking along the beach when he noticed the distressed swimmers, immediately took off his clothes and jumped into the water to help them. He saved two, but realised that he might not have enough time to go back for the other boys and ran to call the emergency services.

By the time the emergency service officials reached the beach, two of the other boys had managed to swim to shore. The oldest of the boys who survived, was nine.

!Gaoseb said it was difficult because the boys were far apart and had been swept out into deep, rough waters.

“I had to swim from one to another, sometimes I could only see the head, especially for the young boy. He was totally unconscious when I took him out,” he said.

The boy said there are no lifeguards on the beach where most children from the town swim.

!Gaoseb however said he was not afraid of drowning because he is a good, self-taught swimmer.

“The waves almost took me away too when I got tired but I floated until I felt stronger and then swam out.”



Horns, tusks and horses

An 80-year-old Chinese man who has lived in Namibia for more than 17 years was granted N$180 000 bail in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court last week, after he was arrested for being in illegal possession of one rhino horn and 60 pieces of raw elephant tusks, a leopard head skin and one cheetah hide.

Lai Yau Ruan was arrested on 2 January in Windhoek.

Bail was not opposed by public prosecutor Laura Mabuku Ntelamo, who was informed by the police that Ruan is not a flight risk because of his age and health problems.

His passport was surrendered as part of his bail conditions.

Nampa on Sunday reported that five people were arrested after being found in possession of elephant tusks at Katima Mulilo on Friday.

Deputy Commissioner John Nyanya of the police told Nampa a source informed the police that four men planned to bring elephant tusks from Zambia to a house in the Choto informal settlement at Katima.

“We monitored the house which belongs to a 39-year-old woman and witnessed the men bringing the four tusks to the house,” he said.

Nyanya said the police raided the house and arrested the woman, who informed them that the men went back to Zambia to bring in a buyer.

“We arrested the men at the Wenela border post the same day on their way back,” he said.

The men are aged between 28 and 49 and one is a Zambian national.

The suspects are expected to appear in the Katima Mulilo Magistrate's Court today on charges of unlawful possession of protected game products.

The police confirmed that two stolen horses valued at more than N$305 000 were recovered by the anti-stock theft unit at Otjimbingwe on Friday.

The suspects, Dausab Roberts (21) and Steven Goaseb (25) will appear at Karibib Magistrate's Court today.

The horses were stolen from Farm Daweb Saub No.29 earlier this week. – Additional reporting by Nampa

JANA-MARI SMITH