Theofilus Nghishidibwa (12) and his cousins left home to collect firewood one Thursday afternoon.

Early last year Theofilus Nghishidibwa (12) and his cousins left home to collect firewood one Thursday afternoon. But Nghishidibwa did not return. His family and neighbours started looking for him, and found his footprints at a sandpit not far from his home. The next day, the boy’s body was discovered in one of the oldest sandpits at Ondando in the Oniipa constituency in the Oshikoto region. The village has been left reeling in shock. Nghishidibwa’s death is one of several in the area that triggered pastor Elifas Haighumbi and community members to petition minister of environment, forestry and tourism Pohamba Shifeta in February to ban sand mining activities. All in all, 10 children have died in sandpits John-Colin Namene sat down with Frans Enkali from the Ondonga Traditional Authority as well as community member Reinherdt Kamati to unpack this.