Last round for Buffalo The controversial Buffalo’s pub in Gobabis was in the process to be closed down and after a fight that led to the hospitalisation of a businessman, Levi Katire, might be the straw that broke the camels back. According to the mayor Silla Bezuidenhout, Buffalo’s has been at the centre of a municipal investigation since January, led by herself and council management committee chairperson Liberius Kalili. The investigation, necessitated by claims of racism against black clients entering the establishment, was commissioned by the late Omaheke governor Rapama Kamehozu. With claims of racism difficult to prove, the team did not find much to order the closure of the business, as it was duly registered at the time. The pub, located in the town’s industrial area, infamously hit the headlines this week after the gruesome attack on Katire, last Saturday. Buffalo’s is said to be a no-go area for black patrons at the town. Gobabis mayor Silla Bezuidenhout said the business is currently operating without a certificate of fitness after the owner failed in renewing it at the end of March. “The municipality is in the process of permanently closing it down after it was indicated to us that they are operating without the required papers since March. We are only currently waiting on the finalisation of the police investigations before we issue the formal closure papers,” Bezuidenhout said. Omaheke Regional Crime Co-Ordinator, Deputy Commissioner Chris Kalimbula, said the police and Gobabis residents can approach the regional liquor board to lobby against the renewal of Buffalo’s operating licence. “The Omaheke police, which are represented on the board, can use its committee vote in support of the public’s lobbying to disqualify the renewal of the licence,” Kalimbula said. Meanwhile, the man accused of attacking Katire, Nico Kotze, 36, appeared in the Gobabis Magistrates Court on Tuesday where he was denied bail. Kotze and another suspect, Boeta du Plessis who is currently on the run from the police, face charges of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, common assault, and racial discrimination. “We are expecting more people to be arrested in connection with this crime,” Kalimbula concluded. Even the town’s chief executive officer, Efraim Dawids, and the personal assistant to Omaheke governor, Belinda Tjijombo, felt the wrath of the pubs owner earlier this year after they were reportedly ordered to vacate the premises on separate occasions on the basis of their skin colour. (Informanté)
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 04:16:20 +0000
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