Dillish, Maria join City Police patrol
Namibian winner of reality television show Big Brother Africa ‘The
Chase’, Dillish Mathews, and her fellow contestant Maria Nepembe
accompanied the Windhoek City Police on a routine night patrol on Friday
night, during which the two celebrities endured hugs and awkward camera
moments with patrons at various watering holes in Windhoek, while
experiencing real police work that ranged from maintaining order among
drunken revelers to helping a drunk man home. The man was literally
crawling home after drinking himself into a stupor.
But the shocking part of the police operation was perhaps the moment
when City Police officers had to attend to a hit-and-run accident, in
the Goreangab area, in which a young man had to be rushed to hospital
after he was hit by a car. The vehicle and driver disappeared from the
scene. The other noteworthy incident occurred in Eveline Street where
the police had to intervene in a near physical fight between a taxi
driver and a private motorist. The driver of the private vehicle was
later found to be under the influence of alcohol, after he registered
0.63 on the breathalyser.
Much later in the night, near the end of the patrol shift, the group
came across the man who was literally trying to crawl home after he
drank himself into a stupor at one of the shebeens in the area.
The City Police took him home, but only after a brief but serious
struggle to get him into the police van. Superintendent Helena Mootseng
said the whole idea for Mathews and Nepembe to join in the patrol was
for them to experience firsthand what the situation on the ground is and
to maybe use their newfound stardom to influence the youth to change
their ways or to act more responsibly. Mathews and Nepembe told
reporters that they are ready to act as role models for the youth and
that they as young people themselves now see what the police are going
through.
At the start of the patrol the police found four underage youngsters
drinking outside at the back of a popular bar. Superintendent Gerry
Shikesho had to pour out their liquor onto the ground, saying the
popular spot is where the police always find youngsters drinking.
The youngsters told members of the media that they drink there
because there are no entertainment venues for young people and that it
is too expensive to drink inside the bars. They also said that they do
not want to drink at their homes, because their parents are at home and
they do not want to show disrespect.
