Mom shattered by farmworker son’s mysterious death

NDAPEWA Ndaudako is overcome by grief following the discovery of her son’s lifeless body about 50km outside Lüderitz last Wednesday.

Edmund Ndaudako was 33 years old.

“I have not been well at all since I heard of his passing,” she said.

Paulina Kavila, an aunt of the deceased, said the family is distraught.

“The last time we heard from Edmund was the Sunday when they left from here. We have so many questions, because there is no information about what happened after he was dropped off on the road,” Kavila said.

Lüderitz residents took to the streets on Monday to demand justice for Ndaudako.

Group spokesperson Johannes Valombola believes Ndaudako was suffering from mental illness and received inhumane treatment from his employer Poenie van Zyl, who allegedly, among others, bragged about dropping him off in the mountains.

After being made aware of these comments, the family reported Ndaudako missing last Monday at the Lüderitz Police Station.

On Tuesday, police conducted a search for the deceased which was unsuccessful. Thereafter the police reportedly fetched the alleged suspect to indicate where he had dropped Ndaudako off, said Valombola.

“How come until today the suspect is not arrested? He dumped the deceased on the roadside. He did not report the matter to the police when he reached Lüderitz. He is still not arrested. We want justice,” Valombola said.

The police report indicates that the deceased reportedly became mentally challenged while on the farm, which is when Van Zyl decided to take him back to Lüderitz. On the way, Ndaudako’s conduct allegedly worsened and he wanted to jump off the vehicle, which is why he was dropped off about 50km outside the town.

“Following the missing person’s report, tracks were followed, but only those of the deceased were visible. He was found dead about 20 kilometres from the road,” the report said.

According to the Republikein newspaper, Van Zyl confirmed that the deceased had been in his service for a short time and said that he had made a full statement to the police. He said Ndaudako presumably suffered from a mental illness and did not use medication.

Republikein also quoted Piet Esau, Van Zyl’s farm foreman, who said that Van Zyl arrived on the farm with Ndaudako last Friday afternoon with the aim of employing him.

“I showed him where his house was and gave him a ration of meat. He cooked it, but then he threw it over the wire and just ate the porridge, “ Esau was quoted as saying.

Esau further said Ndaudako did not want to live in the place they gave him as “there are people in the house who want to kill him”.

According to Esau, Van Zyl took the farmworker back to Lüderitz with him last week Sunday.

Van Zyl has now been advised by his lawyer Louis le Grange not to speak to the media.

Le Grange did not respond to The Namibian’s queries at the time of going to print.

An angry mob stormed Reich’s Pharmacy owned by Van Zyl yesterday as they demanded his arrest.

The mob was eventually dispersed by the police’s Special Field Force Unit in the afternoon and Van Zyl escorted to safety.

//Kharas police commissioner David Indongo, in a report sent to inspector general Sebastian Ndeitunga last Friday, said statements obtained did not provide sufficient information on the involvement of anyone who could have committed the act which may have led to Ndaudako’s death.

Therefore investigators could not arrest anyone pending the post-mortem results which would provide an indication of the cause of death.

The police at Lüderitz, with the assistance of detectives from Keetmanshoop, are investigating a case of murder or alternatively culpable homicide and assault with an intent to do grievous bodily harm.

“The premature arrest of anyone, including the farm owner, may not only jeopardise the investigation, but may lead to civil claims which we are trying to avoid at all costs.

“The matter is so complicated and has public interest that during all steps of the investigation the prosecutors office was timeously contacted for expert advice and the investigation is conducted as prosecution guided,” said Indongo.

Police public relations commissioner Kauna Shikwambi in a statement issued on Monday said the autopsy report indicates Ndaudako’s death occurred three days prior to the examination of the body, which was in a decomposed state, therefore the death is undetermined, which rules out the possibility of the assault charge.

“No one could confirm the assault while the deceased was at the farm, neither did anyone so far mention in their statements that the alleged suspect assaulted the deceased,” said Shikwambi.

Police investigation will continue before the case is presented to the prosecutor general for further directives, said Shikwambi.

The police are calling on farmworkers or anyone who may have witnessed the incident or who has further information to approach the Lüderitz police or //Kharas crime coordinator deputy commissioner Chrispin Mubebo, as the investigation into the case of murder, and alternatively culpable homicide, continues.

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