Last Sunday the wife of Hendrik Witbooi passed away, and on Saturday night a grandson of the Deputy Prime Minister was killed in a hit-and-run incident in Windhoek.

Dawid Dirk 'Riaan' Petersen (27) died at the Katutura State Hospital at around 03h30 on Sunday.

Witbooi's granddaughter, Edith 'Mildred' Witbooi (22), is fighting for her life at the same hospital.

The family is still mourning the death of the Deputy Prime Minister's wife, Mother Paulina '!Gas' Witbooi, who will be laid to rest at Gibeon on Sunday.

The incident occurred as the two Witbooi grandchildren were walking back to the Deputy Prime Minister's residence from the Maerua Mall complex after watching a movie there on Saturday night, relatives told The Namibian.

The Deputy Prime Minister had summoned everyone at home for a prayer session at around 01h10, the exact time last Sunday when his wife had died from cancer.

It was after this prayer session, at about 01h30, when Willem M 'Timo' Witbooi, also a grandson of the Deputy Prime Minister, decided to take a stroll to Maerua Mall to buy cigarettes.

On his way there he was shocked to find Riaan and Mildred lying alongside the road, severely injured.

"About 60 metres from the scene I heard a faint voice," he said.

"As I got closer, the voice became clearer and I then realised that it was Mildred's voice," Timo Witbooi said.

He then called Mildred's name and she pleaded for help.

He called Riaan's name and he responded that he was in pain.

They were lying on the far side of the railing on the edge of Robert Mugabe Avenue, next to the back entrance to the Centaurus High School hostel.

Timo Witbooi rushed back home to summon help.

An ambulance took both grandchildren to the Katutura State Hospital, but Riaan succumbed to his injuries on arrival.

It appears both had been struck by a vehicle which had driven onto the pavement and then sped off.

From the debris at the accident scene, it seems the vehicle involved was a later model white Nissan.

On enquiry, an employee at the parts division of Nissan Pupkewitz confirmed that the part number, 63815 2S600, which was found on a piece of the broken bumper, belongs to the Nissan V6, 3 litre, Double Cab, 4x4, QW series.

The vehicle was driving from the south to north along Robert Mugabe.

The driver of the vehicle appears to have lost control and mounted the pavement, striking Mildred and Riaan, before driving off.

The black tyre markings on the pavement railing and those on the pavement indicate that they were struck while on the pavement.

The impact propelled them over pavement railing, where they might have been lying for several hours before Timo arrived on the scene.

Mildred sustained serious injuries to her lower body.

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