The body of 58-year-old Fenny Ipinge was found at around 17h30 by neighbours and Police in the living room of her house in Dorp Street, in Katutura's Shandumbala location.

Her body was reportedly riddled with stab wounds, thought to have been inflicted with a knife.

Police who are investigating her murder also reported that the retired State house employee was found with burns to her face, suspected to have been caused by boiling water.

So far, Police have not named a suspect in Ipinge's killing, but they have appealed to her son, Ngatangwe Ngatjizeko Ipinge, the last person known to have seen her alive, to come forward and help in their investigation.

The 27-year-old Ngatangwe is the son of Trade Minister Immanuel Ngatjizeko.

According to a relative at Ipinge's home yesterday, Ipinge's next-door neighbour heard her screaming his - the neighbour's - name on Sunday afternoon while he was sitting outside on his porch.

The neighbour did not respond to the noise, and apparently saw Ngatangwe leave the house through the back door.

"He apparently even greeted him while he walked past," the female relative told The Namibian.

Growing suspicious of the young man's demeanour and the sudden silence at Ipinge's house, the neighbour apparently went over to the house, only to find it locked.

"So he apparently went to some other people in the neighbourhood, and they finally managed to contact the Police, who managed to open the door," she said.

Inside they found the lifeless body of Ipinge lying on the living-room floor in a pool of blood.

A Police spokesperson, Sergeant Stephan Nuuyi, said yesterday that the Police had received information that the mother and son had been in an argument just before her death.

"The neighbours heard a quarrel, but I don't think it would be appropriate to say we're calling him a suspect in the case yet.

At this time we're just asking him to come forward with any information he might have," Nuuyi said.

Ngatangwe's whereabouts are unknown at this time, Police and relatives said.

"He's been gone since then, he's absconded," Ipinge's brother, Chief Inspector Beau Ipinge, said.

Ipinge had been in the employ of State House for 12 years, officials there said.

She served as special aide to the former First Lady between January 20 1992 and April 16 2004.

She left her job at State House at the age of 56, after she was left unable to work due to complications following a hip transplant.

"We were so shocked to hear of the evil that took place yesterday afternoon.

On behalf of everyone here, I would like to express our heartfelt condolences to her family," the acting Permanent Secretary for State House, Abisai Shiningwa, said yesterday.

"I knew her on a personal level, and she was a very kind woman," he said.

Ipinge's brother said yesterday that she would be buried in Windhoek on Saturday.

Attempts to reach Trade Minister Ngatjizeko were unsuccessful yesterday.

The neighbour who witnessed the scene refused to talk to The Namibian, saying only that he had already given his statement to Police.

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