Windhoek — Vendelinus Hamutenya, the former Mr Gay Namibia narrowly survived a warrant of arrest being issued by the Windhoek Magistrate's Court, with the court asking him to appear in court on August.

Hamutenya failed to appear for a scheduled court appearance on a charge of malicious damage to property. Magistrate Hileni Kavara issued the warrant but State prosecutor Erich Naikaku told Kavara there is a form attached to the record indicating that Hamutenya had been out of the country attending a male beauty pageant.

Hamutenya is charged with damaging a digital recorder belonging to Melt van Schoor valued at N$1 200 on January 16, 2012 in Windhoek. Van Schoor, a former Namibian cricketer and rugby player, was a former colleague of Hamutenya at Old Mutual Namibia.

Van Schoor declined to comment, instead referring all questions to Old Mutual's public relations department. Hamutenya, however, said the charges of damaging the recorder emanate from a case of sexual harassment that he made against Van Schoor. He accused Van Schoor of making "unwanted" sexual advances towards him.

According to Hamutenya, Van Schoor frequently complimented him on his body and that at first he took it as compliments as "I know I have a beautiful body". But he said things became uncomfortable when the compliments transgressed into Van Schoor touching him inappropriately. He said that he then laid a case of sexual harassment against Van Schoor, only for Van Schoor to confront him about the charges. He stated that Van Schoor wanted to hit him with the recorder and in the process of him protecting himself the recorder fell to the floor and broke.

Quinton Potgieter from Old Mutual's marketing department told New Era there was no truth in the allegations made by Hamutenya, otherwise Old Mutual would have acted accordingly. Potgieter said Old Mutual distances itself from any publicity seeking exercises engaged upon by Hamutenya who is no longer in the employ of Old Mutual.