A grandson of the Deputy Prime Minister Hendrik Witbooi was killed in a hit-and-run incident in Windhoek on Saturday, barely a week after his wife died.

Francis Kooper, personal assistant to Witbooi, said: "It [the hit-and-run] all came as a great shock to the family and the whole congregation.

Everyone was crying at the memorial service we had on Sunday evening".

The funeral of the late Mother Paulina '!Gas' Witbooi will go ahead as planned.

She will be buried on Sunday at Gibeon.

The family decided to separate the funerals.

Dawid Dirk 'Riaan' Petersen (27) will be buried a week after his grandmother.

Kooper said the arrangements for Witbooi's funeral were at an advanced stage.

In addition young people in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church have requested that the two funerals be held separately so that they can be accommodated on the funeral programme of Petersen to pay their respects.

Petersen was a lead singer in the 'Harmonizers' gospel group and a well-known youth activist.

He and Witbooi's granddaughter, Edith 'Mildred' Witbooi (22), were walking back to the Deputy Prime Minister's residence from the Maerua Mall complex after watching a movie there on Saturday night when they were struck by a vehicle.

Another grandson Willem M 'Timo' Witbooi found them 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.

Petersen subsequently died at the Katutura State Hospital at around 03h30 on Sunday while Mildred will remain hospitalised for some time.

"She has made some good progress after the three hour operation [on Sunday].

Her knee was badly broken and a piece of upper leg torn off.

The doctors did a good job during the operation and she is doing well," said Kooper.

Mildred was able to recognise members of her family and chatted to them yesterday.

"Unfortunately, she will remain in what they called 'a strict quiet bed' for around six weeks.

The sisters described her as a very strong person and believe that she will make it," Kooper said.

The Witbooi family, AME Church congregation and friends of the two young people have taken the tragedy very badly, sources said.

Police spokesperson Deputy Commissioner Hophni Hamufungu said they were still hunting for the driver and the vehicle.

He appealed to anyone who may have noticed a damaged vehicle in the Windhoek area to contact the nearest Police station or Constable Shikongo at 061-2094236.

The Police are regarding the case as murder instead of culpable homicide because the driver drove away from the scene.

It appears that the vehicle drove onto the pavement and struck the two pedestrians before speeding off.

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