Hertta- Maria Amutenja
Namibia’s ambassador to Cuba, Samuel Goagoseb, has cast doubts about allegations implicating one of his sons in the recent death of his other son in that country last week.
During a scuffle inside the diplomatic residence, the elder brother allegedly stabbed the younger son to death.
The deceased was reportedly fatally stabbed by his elder brother (whose name is known to the Windhoek Observer) when he tried to intervene in a quarrel between the suspect and his girlfriend.
Goagoseb told the Windhoek Observer on Sunday that the families believe that the accused is unlikely to be capable of such an act.
“It might not even be the brother who did that, and there were only three people at the time,” Goagoseb said.
He added that a third person known to be violent was also present.
“The investigation is going on. As the family, we don’t believe the other brother is capable of killing his brother,” he said.
Goagoseb emphasised that the family is receiving full support from the Namibian government.
“We have the full support of the government, and everyone knows the background of our family. We are putting everything in a legal framework. Like any family, it is not simple to take on any death in a family,” he said.
The ambassador acknowledged that investigations are ongoing and expressed hope that the outcome would be forthcoming soon.
Goagoseb also highlighted that this incident should not discourage support for Namibian citizens abroad who might find themselves in similar circumstances.
“It should not affect the support Namibians living abroad should receive if they are in a similar situation,” he said.
In June, Cuban news outlet Cubanos por el Mundo reported that Goagoseb’s elder son allegedly assaulted his Cuban girlfriend, Mariela Ruiz Bourzac, who was four months pregnant at the time.
She reportedly suffered severe injuries, including a broken nose.
Local authorities cited diplomatic immunity as a barrier to pursuing legal action in that case.
The diplomats in Cuba enjoy immunity because of the historic ties between the two countries and its president, Miguel Díaz-Canel.
According to the Watcher of Cuba publication, Goagoseb and the Cuban authorities, who were aware of the case, decided to deport Enrico to Namibia for a murder trial.
The publication claims that after the suspect’s arrest, the Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs informed Goagoseb that his son would deport him to Namibia due to the young man’s history of involvement in issues beyond beating his son’s wife and mother.
A source in the Cuban foreign ministry requested anonymity, telling The Watch of Cuber that Goagoseb wanted the news kept a secret for fears that his reputation would suffer a hard blow, not only in Havana but also in Namibia.
According to the publication, the ambassador’s main concern is the possibility of being recalled and his diplomatic status being withdrawn.
By the time of publication, questions sent to the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation (MIRCO) executive director Penda Naanda and his personal assistant had not received a response.
Deputy executive director, Rebecca Iyambo referred the questions to Naanda.
