‘I cry day and night’

Rundu pensioner Aloys Sipilikita (60) dreamt of his last-born son, Alpo (18), becoming a doctor or engineer.

But he spent the festive season heartbroken, yearning for justice for Alpo, who was killed at Millennium Park at the north-eastern town on 22 September last year.

There have been no arrests.

Speaking to The Namibian at home at Tutungeni, Rundu, last week, Aloys said Alpo was killed after a cellphone was allegedly snatched from two women on the street.

He says his son was mistaken for the thief.

“I have never heard about my son being a thief at school or at home. Even the teachers at his school described him as a good and kind person,” he said.

Aloys said Alpo and his friend were walking home, when they were approached by two men who asked them to return the stolen phone.

Alpo was allegedly shot in the chest when he failed to produce the phone.

The father said no one has come forth with information leading to the apprehension of the suspect.

“I want the police to arrest the person who killed my son to ease my pain,” he said.

At the time of his death, Alpo was a Grade 10 pupil at Rundu Senior Secondary School.

“How will I continue to live without him in my life? I know a lot of people have lost their children, but not in the same manner I lost my son. I cry day and night,” he said.

Aloys said members of the Millennium Park neighbourhood watch have shared information on the shooting incident on their WhatsApp group.

Text messages seen by The Namibian show that some members allegedly heard a gunshot at the time of Alpo’s shooting.

Kavango East acting regional commander Eino Nambahu on Friday said investigations into the matter are ongoing.

He said he could not provide further details as the Office of the Inspector General has appointed an individual to lead the investigation.

Aloys said he would want to take the killer and his family to a traditional court to pay for the killing of his son.

Uukwangali senior headman Frans Mbandu says if a person has been killed intentionally, the murderer is charged 30 head of cattle or N$60 000.

UNSOLVED FOR FIVE YEARS

Family members and friends of Naeman Amakali, who was struck by a bullet in the chest while travelling in a taxi five years ago, say his unsolved murder has left them living without closure.

The incident took place after a confrontation ensued between Amakali’s group of friends and the driver of another vehicle.

Amakali was a student at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust) at the time.

Matheus Iyambo, who was a passenger in the taxi, said at the time the incident was reported they were driving from Khomasdal to Hakahana Service Station in Katutura when the suspect’s vehicle approached them.

He said the taxi driver asked the suspect why he was driving recklessly.

The shooting, Iyambo says, happened very fast.

“I thought he was aiming somewhere else.”

Iyambo said they were told closed-circuit television footage captured the shooter getting out of his vehicle and collecting a firearm from its boot.

The suspect is between 1,78m and 1,80m tall, he says, and was accompanied by some women at the time of the incident.

The victims allegedly returned to the scene to pick up 10 cartridges to hand over to the police.

Amakali’s uncle Reinhold Efraim says the police have not given the family any feedback on the case.

“It’s heartbreaking that we lost him, and to make matters worse, we’re living without the closure of who did that to him.

“How does that person sleep knowing he has caused Amakali’s loved ones so much harm? I am calling on anyone with information that can lead to the arrest of the culprit to come forth,” he says.

Efraim says Amakili lost his mother a few months before he died, which intensifies the family’s grief.
Martti Enkali, a friend of Amakali, says: “We were so close, and all we are left with are memories. I will never forget my friend. My friends are still traumatised and heartbroken.”

RAPED AND KILLED

The relatives of pensioner Elina Samuel, (80), who was allegedly raped and murdered at Omuthiya’s Omainda village in the Oshikoto region in December 2022, are not satisfied with the slow progress on the case.

Police spokesperson chief inspector Elifas Kuwinga last year confirmed the incident, saying: “It is alleged that the suspect attacked the victim with a panga and raped her.”

Samuel was allegedly busy cutting camel thorn trees to cover the fence of her house when the incident took place.
She was found in a pool of blood.

Kuwinga says she had three cut wounds to her head.

Samuel’s granddaughter, who was four at the time, witnessed the incident.

She saw a man attacking her grandmother before fleeing.

Police investigations continue.

Selma Shaanika (42), Samuel’s niece, says after her burial, feedback from the police became limited.

Shaanika says she continues to contact the police to get updates, and the last call she received was in August.

“I reached out to them in October again, and they told me they were granted permission by the High Court to complete the last part of the investigation, however, nothing was done”, she says.

“The police should get serious with their work, it’s traumatising that no suspect has been arrested, although two men were interrogated.

“This pending case is delaying us from getting the closure we deserve,” she says.

Jeremia Linus (30), another of Samuel’s granddaughters, says: “It’s very painful how my grandmother was killed, with no justice for her. The last time the police spoke to us was around May. They told us they are still waiting for a confirmation letter from the court for permission to do DNA tests on her body.

“The police are really failing us,” Linus says.

National police spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi says her office has not received any status update on the two cases, but will comment when in a position to do so.

Commenting on the matter of the pensioner’s rape and murder, Oshikoto regional crime investigations coordinator deputy commissioner Titus Ekandjo says there are no developments or new information.

“No suspect has been apprehended and no additional information has been gathered yet,” he says