A South African couple was arrested at the Grootfontein Military Base on Tuesday after allegedly taking photos of an information board in the military zone with their cell phones.
Namibian Police Force (NamPol) Commander for Community Affairs in the Otjozondjupa Region, Inspector Maureen Mbeha on Wednesday said the two were arrested for contravening Section 55.1 of the Defence Act no. 1 of 2002, which prohibits photographing of the military base.
“It is alleged that on 13 June 2023 at about 11h30, a couple from South Africa in a grey Ford Ranger entered the Grootfontein Army Base zone and took pictures of the defence force’s information board with their cellphones,” said Mbeha.
The suspects were seen by the military personnel who were on duty and reported the matter to the police.
Mbeha said the police took the suspects to the police station for questioning while in the company of the army personnel.
The female suspect is 60 years old, while the man is 65. They are expected to appear in Grootfontein Magistrate’s Court during this week.
Their passports indicate that they entered Namibia as tourists on 05 June 2023 and are expected to exit the country back to South Africa on 29 June 2023, said Mbeha.
Another couple was arrested in 2022 during the same time for photographing military equipment at the same military base.
Police investigations continue.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency