Lüderitz residents demand justice for slain pensioner

Lüderitz residents are demanding justice after 74-year-old pensioner Frieda Ngwedha died from injuries sustained in an alleged assault and robbery on 16 December 2025.

Ngwedha died on 9 January.

||Kharas crime investigation coordinator deputy commissioner Nicodemus Mbango says although the victim did not open a case, the suspect (s) remain unknown and the matter is under investigation.

“It depends on different cases and the type of case involved. The police are treating the issue with the seriousness it deserves, and we are trying daily with the best of our abilities,” he says.

Ngwedha’s grandson, Ronnie Shilunga (29), says his grandmother was allegedly on her usual walk home from a local store, which is five minutes from her house.

The family was informed by a passerby about a pensioner lying down by the mountains near Ngwedha’s home at Lüderitz, Jackals Draai area, where she passes on the way to the local store, Shilunga says.

“My grandmother told us she was attacked by two men on her way back home. The men allegedly hit her with an unknown object,” he says. “She was admitted to hospital due to severe injuries and after she was discharged, she was admitted again for a week before she died.

“She had been complaining of headaches and body aches since the attack, we thought she would recover but she kept getting weaker every day,” he adds.

Shilunga says Ngwedha’s death came as a shock, leaving the family shattered and longing for answers. He says the town was a safe place, and residents did not hear of any attacks on pensioners.

He describes Ngwedha as a polite woman with a heart of gold, who loved and helped everyone, whether they were family or not. She lived most of her life at the harbour town after retiring from a plant processing factory. She is survived by her four children and 17 grandchildren.

Shilunga is urging the police to take the case seriously and for justice to be served.

Residents demanding justice held an anti-drug protest last Saturday to highlight drug abuse among the town’s youth and its ‘devastating’ impacts, including drug-related crime at the town.

A petition was handed over to the Lüderitz Town Council by !Nami≠nus Constituency Youth Forum member and person who previously used drugs Ndeshipanda Akwenye.

“This tragic incident reflects the growing violence linked to drug abuse and addiction. Innocent civilians are increasingly becoming victims of attacks committed by individuals seeking to sustain drug habits.

“A thorough investigation, transparency from law enforcement, swift arrest and prosecution of those responsible,” Akwenye says.

A call has been made to strengthen legal age restrictions at shebeens and regulations governing the consumption of alcohol.

Shebeen owners are urged to verify identification, prevent underage youth from entering, and protect minors from exposure to alcohol and drugs.

The residents are calling for strict penalties for landlords and property owners involved in drug-related activities.

Abandoned houses have become hotspots for drug use and criminal activity, prompting residents to urge the Lüderitz Town Council to ensure these structures are sealed and secured.

Akwenye has proposed a security checkpoint at the town’s entrance to monitor and search vehicles suspected of transporting illegal substances.

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