Niël Terblanché
The Namibian Police in Walvis Bay has confirmed that a burglary where more than N$400 000 were stolen, occurred at the Kuisebmond cash hall of the Walvis Bay Municipality over the weekend.
Chief Inspector Ileni Shapumba, the head of the community affairs division of the Namibian Police in the Erongo region, said detectives are investigating a case of housebreaking and theft after the burglary was reported by municipal employees on Monday morning.
“The incident was reported at the Kuisebmond Police Station on Monday morning. It was reported that more than N$400 000 were stolen during the weekend following a forceful entry into the municipality’s building,” he said.
What Shapumba did not mention, the fact that the Kuisebmond Police Station is in the same building as the municipal offices and that a single wall separates the cash hall and the charge office.
Windhoek Observer went to the scene and found a notice on the door that instructed clients to use the alternative cash counter on the other side of the municipal building.
At the entrance of the cash hall where the burglary occurred, people were astounded by the audacity of the burglars.
One bystander laughed out loud when he was informed that the burglars managed to steal such a large amount of money from under the noses of the officers on duty over the weekend.
It is understood that thieves had the entire municipal office facility to themselves and that they had the whole weekend to gain access to the building, cut open the safe in which the cash was stored with a gas flame and escape unnoticed with their loot.
