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Mentally ill woman disrupts National Assembly

Mentally ill woman disrupts National Assembly

A YOUNG woman from Okahandja disrupted proceedings in the National Assembly yesterday when she started shouting in the visitors’ gallery shortly after the session started.

The allegedly mentally ill Belinda Garoes yelled at the Speaker that nobody wanted to help her and undernourished children who were dying at Okahandja. Police officers tried to calm her down and told her to leave the Chamber, but she resisted and even broke a windowpane at the northern entrance to the visitors’ gallery.”My child has died,” she shouted repeatedly.Outside, some MPs tried to calm her down.The woman is apparently depressed because several children have died of malnutrition at Okahandja in the last few years and she has tried to start an organisation to help needy children.She alleged that the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare had turned down her plea for support several times.She claimed that she had even tried to send a letter to President Hifikepunye Pohamba.”I just want to die, I will wait here until somebody comes to shoot me to end my life of suffering,” the woman screamed at the top of her voice.The woman was then handcuffed and taken away in a Police van.Some bystanders alleged that the Police had treated Garoes roughly.A staff member from the parliamentary office of the Nudo opposition party, Maria da Conceicao, said she was shocked at how Garoes was treated.”The handcuffs were unnecessary and they need not have carried her like an animal, one Police officer grabbing each of her feet,” Conceicao criticised.”We had our instructions and that woman was really causing a problem,” one of the Police officers stationed at the National Assembly told The Namibian.Police officers tried to calm her down and told her to leave the Chamber, but she resisted and even broke a windowpane at the northern entrance to the visitors’ gallery.”My child has died,” she shouted repeatedly.Outside, some MPs tried to calm her down.The woman is apparently depressed because several children have died of malnutrition at Okahandja in the last few years and she has tried to start an organisation to help needy children.She alleged that the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare had turned down her plea for support several times.She claimed that she had even tried to send a letter to President Hifikepunye Pohamba.”I just want to die, I will wait here until somebody comes to shoot me to end my life of suffering,” the woman screamed at the top of her voice.The woman was then handcuffed and taken away in a Police van.Some bystanders alleged that the Police had treated Garoes roughly.A staff member from the parliamentary office of the Nudo opposition party, Maria da Conceicao, said she was shocked at how Garoes was treated.”The handcuffs were unnecessary and they need not have carried her like an animal, one Police officer grabbing each of her feet,” Conceicao criticised.”We had our instructions and that woman was really causing a problem,” one of the Police officers stationed at the National Assembly told The Namibian.

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