Welder sues NDF for N$1.5 million

After being "unlawfully" detained for three days without food or water, Namibia Defence Force (NDF) welder Hilkia Heita (33) is suing the army for N$1.5 million.

Heita told Namibian Sun that in September of last year, his employer – the NDF – called him while he was away to attend a funeral and accused him of stealing eight truck tyres from the force. They immediately demanded that he hand himself over to the police.

"I was confused by the allegations but asked them if I could finish the funeral that I was attending and thereafter return to Windhoek to sort the story out, which they denied," he said.

"I was then driven to Windhoek by a relative, and went to the NDF composite depot, where I worked, and was immediately detained without any explanation," he recalled.

Trauma

He was transferred to the Windhoek Correctional Facility, where he claimed he was incarcerated for three days without food and water.

"After all the agony and silence from my boss, I asked a guard if I could make a call to the base. I asked them if they planned to leave me in that state without any information, food and water, but the response shocked me," he said.

Heita was employed as a welder at the depot in 2016.

"They had no idea who stole the tyres. After they released me, I suffered a lot of trauma and decided to confront the NDF."

He said he was told that he was arrested “to pry information out of me, but I asked why I had to be treated in such an inhumane way instead of just asking me.”

Heita told the publication that legal action is still underway and added that he is still receiving psychological support.