Stefanus Nashama
Social Justice Activist, Michael Amushelelo, said he has received death threats after speaking out against the incident in which members of the the Namibian Police Force killed five suspected robbers at Okahandja last year
He, however, vowed to keep fighting injustice, stating that he would die standing on his principles because he is not a coward.
“Please, tell those that are sending me death threats that I am not afraid of them. I will die on my feet because I am not a coward,” said the activist.
Speaking to Windhoek Observer yesterday, Amushelelo said a person, whom he believed to be a member of the Namibian Police Force sent him death threats on WhatsApp this week and deleted them immediately.
“One of the police officers has sent me death threats on WhatsApp and deleted them before I could screenshot them. I must have hit some serious nerves to receive death threats,” he told this publication.
Amushelelo had issued the same complaints in 2023, claiming there was a plot for him to be killed as he exposed corruption in the country.
He said death threats would not stop him from exposing corruption.
“I do not protect criminals. I do not call myself the people’s general for nothing. I was born with no fear. I will expose any corruption irrespective of who is involved,” he said.
According to him, the threats raised when he publicly spoke about the Okahandja shooting incident in which members of the Namibian Police Force and Windhoek City Police reportedly killed five men, who were allegedly going to rob a certain betting spot in Okahandja.
According to an official statement by Deputy Inspector General of the Namibian Police Force, Major General Elias Mutota at the time, the five men who were killed during a shootout had a total of 24 charges related to serious crimes pending against them.
The suspects allegedly started firing on a police vehicle during a high-speed chase.
The five suspects were identified as Abed Andreas, also known as Koppe, Flavianus Kaluwapa Endjala, also known as Kalu, Marius Iipinge, also known as Jackie, Malakia Iiyambo Kotokeni, also known as Brown and Eric Martin Akawa
The report also revealed there was a sixth suspect who fled the scene and his whereabouts could not be established.
Investigations into the deadly incident as well as the background of the five deceased persons revealed that they had a series of serious criminal cases pending in the courts after being released on bail repeatedly.
This week, Amushelelo publicly scrutinised the report, asking various questions surrounding the killing, saying it does not have sufficient evidence.
He questioned why the police could not wait until the suspects committed the crime, and then apprehend them after.
“Why did the police allow the vehicles of the suspects to pass the roadblock if it was overloaded with six people? Who has seen the picture of the vehicle of the suspects and where are they? Who the sixth suspect was? Why did the City Police go out of Windhoek to kill the people?” he questioned.
Amushelelo further questioned why the suspects were granted bail if they were known by the police to be a threat to the public.
“I am arrested and denied bail in this country, but I am not a threat to the people. The reason these guys were granted bail is because they work closely with the police,” he asserted.
Amushelelo claimed that when he is exposing corrupt police officers, such as in this case, his life is automatically at risk.
At the same time, the activist mentioned that he fears no one, he has zero fear and he does not buy favour.
“If you engage yourself in corruption, I will expose you, I cannot protect criminals,” he stated.
He stated that he does not feel it’s important to report the threats to the police since they are involved in the matter, and called for an independent body to investigate the police officers in the country.
“The police cannot investigate themselves, an independent body will do,” he reiterated.
