AFRICAN STARS COACH BOBBY SAMARIA IN COURT FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Bobby Samaria

African Stars coach Bobby Samaria who was arrested for domestic violence in Windhoek earlier last week appeared in the Windhoek Magistrate Court on Thursday and was released on bail.

Samaria was granted N$2 000 bail on condition that he does not interfere with investigations and must not have direct contact with his wife Clementine Samaria, who is the complainant in the matter. His case was postponed to 21 January 2016. She however refused to comment on the issue. “I have children and my family at large to think about so I don't want to discuss this matter in the newspaper, but I can confirm that I am the one who pressed the charges against him. This is not the first case. There are three others. I was not consulted by the police as to what happened to the cases. At this point this is all I am prepared to say,” she said.

A close family member told The Namibian that Samaria's release is making his wife very nervous.
“I must say she is fearing for her life. In her objection to him being granted bail, she said Samaria has a fiery temper and she does not know how he will react now that she had reported him. There are cases she filed against him between 1988 and 2006 but those dockets apparently disappeared. We brought all this to the attention of the court but he was still granted bail,” the family members said. Clementine filed for divorce in 2006 but until now Bobby has refused to sign the documents. According to his lawyer Patric Kauta, they will sign the papers in December. The founder and director of Woman Solidarity Namibia, Rosa Namises, said the granting of bail in this specific case is proof that women are not getting the protection they need.

“Must someone first die for a woman to be taken seriously? Why was he granted bail? This man is in a leadership position and that is why he got away with this. This is the time to call for a petition. I am calling on women to support our sister. We are calling on key leaders and the President to help us on this and make an example that we are not going to allow women beaters to walk freely on our streets,” Namises said. Expressing the same sentiments Margaret Mensah-Williams, the National Council vice chairperson, said the law has the responsibility to protect Clementine. “The President was clear on that the law has the obligation to protect the people especially women and children. This is totally unacceptable. There is a history of violence and she wrote why she did not want the man to be granted bail. That should be an indication to the court to refuse bail.

-The Namibian-