The 37-year-old male suspect who was shot and killed on Sunday at Farm Salzbrunnen near Kombat in the Otjozondjupa Region, has been identified by relatives as Simon Seveleni.

The Namibian Police Force (NamPol) crime investigations coordinator in the region, Deputy Commissioner Naukalemo Andreas in an interview with Nampa on Wednesday said Seveleni was identified on Tuesday.

He was shot and killed allegedly in an exchange of gunfire with farmworkers who were patrolling Farm Salzbrunnen on Sunday around 14h00.

“It is alleged that Seveleni and three other men had illegally entered the farm while armed with a gun,” said Andreas.

At about 14h00, Seveleni and his three accomplices came eye-to-eye with the two farmworkers who were patrolling the farm and were also armed with a rifle, she said.

The farmworkers allegedly spotted the suspects first and took them for poachers since they were on the farm grounds illegally and armed with a gun.

“The farmworkers then fired warning shots into the air, calling for the suspects to surrender themselves,” said Andreas.

All four suspects instead allegedly ran and took cover in thick bushes on the farm, while the farmworkers allegedly continued to call on them to come out.

Shortly after, it is alleged the suspects fired several gunshots in the direction of the farmworkers.

This allegedly prompted the farmworkers to also fire back and kill Seveleni on the spot, Andreas said.

The three other suspects on Sunday had fled on foot and one of them was on Tuesday night arrested at Otavi on charges of trespassing and incitement to commit illegal hunting or poaching inside a privately-owned property.

Andreas also revealed that the 38-year-old farmworker, Wilhelm Goaxab who shot and killed Seveleni on Tuesday appeared in the Otavi Magistrate’s Court where he was granted bail of N.dollars 3 000 on a charge of murder.

Police investigations into the matter continue.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency