A young man who was assaulted by a police guard at State House in Windhoek last Monday related his ordeal through a telephonic interview with Omutumwa.
Eugene Goagoseb speaks:
“Briefly what happened is, I work for a company called 99 Investments. We manage guys who collect trolleys at shops and also security guards. So in the morning on Monday I drove around to pick up these guys. I picked up the trolley guys and was on the way to pick up the rest, I was on Otjomuise Road on the way to pick up the rest in Otjomuise.
“I was driving from Greenwell to Otjomuise. On the way I jumped a stop sign. There was a police officer behind me who then pulled me over. He asked me why I jumped a stop sign; that was reckless driving. So he asked for my driver’s licence.
“I didn’t have the licence with me at the time because it was in my other jeans. He said since I don’t have the driver’s licence he will take the car’s licence disk. So he took that and said you must come with your driver’s licence to State House to get your disk.
“I took the car to my colleague to finish the rounds, and I came home and picked up the licence and I took a taxi to State House.
“When I got at State House I asked for the police officer, then he came there with another van. When the officer came there he asked me why I was driving like that. I acknowledged and told him I am sorry sir, it will never happen again.
“Then he started to speak Oshiwambo to me. I told him I’m sorry sir I don’t understand what you’re saying. Then he said oh, you don’t understand Oshiwambo? Then you will learn today.
“So he took me to an office just there at the entrance of State House. We got in the office. There were lying some bricks on the floor. He picked up some of those bricks and threw them in another office and he told me I must start doing push-ups on those bricks with my fists, not my hands.
“When I was doing this he went to get a power extension cable, a white one, and started to whip me once on my back. So I got up and asked him, officer why are you hitting me? Are you not supposed to give me a ticket or there is no other way we can settle this?
“He said no my friend you’re not leaving this office until I am satisfied. Obviously because he is an officer I just tried to listen to what he was saying because I’m scared now.
“So I went back in the push-up position and while I was doing the push-ups he was hitting me with the cable. He hit me on my back and on my bum. While doing the push-ups my boss was calling, and I was telling him I need to answer this call, it’s my boss calling. He said he doesn’t care about my boss calling, I must just continue.
“So he was there sitting and making himself coffee and relaxing. After that when he was now satisfied he told me to get up and take the bricks and put them back where they were. And ja he gave me back my driver’s licence and the car’s licence disk.
“Then he told me to run out of the office, but I refused. So I walked out, and I just left.”
From there Goagoseb went to open a case of assault at the police station.
IN THE PHOTO: Assault victim Eugene Goagoseb
