Christmas without her son

Walvis Bay mother Magdalena Soroses is heartbroken after she lost her 27-year-old son, Ritjiwee Reeboke Soroseb, who was killed at the town on 12 December in an alleged case of mistaken identity.

“I was planning on preparing food and drinks. I wanted the friends to spend the night here. He had very caring friends and I knew them since they were young. Now, I have to spend Christmas without my son,” Soroses said this week to The Namibian.

According to police reports, Soroseb was stabbed with a knife by pregnant 15-year-old Alwiera Bezuidenhoudt at Kuisebmond.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Bezuidenhoudt’s boyfriend ended up in hospital the previous night after three men allegedly assaulted him and threatened to cut Bezuidenhoudt’s stomach open and remove the baby.

Bezuidenhoudt, reportedly with the aim of protecting herself, thought Soroseb was one of the men who had threatened her and stabbed him in the upper left chest.

He died on the spot.

Soroseb, who was living at Omaruru for the past year, returned to Walvis Bay to visit his mother the previous Friday.

He decided to visit his mother’s little brother at the house where he was murdered.

“He gave me a black flower pot before leaving to see his uncle. I asked him why he was giving it to me. He responded that I love to plant flowers and that I must plant something. That is the last time that I saw him. Moments later, my little brother and a friend ran into the house telling me that he was stabbed. I asked where he was and why they did not take him to hospital. He told me that it looked like he was not breathing anymore,” says Soroses.

Soroseb’s sister Tina Naobes says her brother was a good person who did not deserve to die in that manner.

“My brother was very polite. You can ask about him around the neighbourhood. Everybody will tell you how he never walked past people, especially the elderly without greeting them. He was really helpful and generous. Although he was unemployed, he liked to share everything with us. He was an artist. I like a specific song that he sang, saying that his mother told him to always remember home, where he has family. He also sang another song about our mother. He loved the family. He was artistic and started his own brand because he wanted his own line of clothing “ she says.

Soroseb’s seven-year-old son, Brave, says he will miss his father a lot.

“I heard that my daddy was stabbed by a lady. I loved him a lot. I will miss him,” Brave says, while holding his father’s picture.

The family says Bezuidenhoudt’s parents visited them last week and asked for forgiveness.

“Her mother came here crying and said that she was afraid to come here. I told her that it was okay. No parent is responsible for her child’s actions. We must leave everything in the hand of God. They offered financial contributions towards the funeral,” Soroses says.