Commuters between Oshakati and Walvis Bay expressed their sheer frustration and anger with government officials who cordoned off and closed the road near Tsumeb for several hours on Monday afternoon in order to recover a Toyota Land Cruiser of President Hifikepunye Pohamba’s motorcade, which overturned upon returning to Windhoek from Ogandjera, west of Oshakati, where President Pohamba attended the funeral of the late Ogandjera King Jafet Munkundi last Saturday.

People travelling along that route were reportedly denied thoroughfare at the scene of the accident and had to wait in their vehicles for hours for a clean-up of the scene to be completed.
“We eventually arrived more than four hours late in Walvis Bay on Monday night as result of this road closure. Besides, who are these officials to close a road and deny people their free movement?” an infuriated coastal resident asked. Informanté understands that President Pohamba returned to Windhoek with the Presidential jet after the visit to Ogandjera for the funeral.
The motorcade returned to Windhoek at the same time and the accident took place close to the Oshikoto Lake, where the road makes a sharp bend. No other high-ranking government official was aboard any of the motorcade’s vehicles when the accident occurred, as far as could be established. It is also understood there were road works in progress in the immediate area where the accident took place.
The Land Cruiser apparently veered off the road and overturned, presumably at high speed, because all four wheels came off in the process.
Tsumeb businessman Renier Arangies confirmed to Informanté yesterday that there was a recovery of a government vehicle on Monday, but said he had no other details and could not confirm whether the vehicle was part of a presidential motorcade, in which direction the car was traveling or what caused the accident. A government truck was sent to the scene to transport the wrecked motorcade vehicle to Tsumeb. The wreck was covered at the scene of the accident by a canvas and remained covered once loaded onto the truck.
Upon inquiry a spokesperson for the Office of the President denied any knowledge of the incident and said matters concerning the motorcade are dealt with by the President’s security detail. By the time of going to print Informanté could not obtain any official details of the accident or ascertain whether any person was injured.