Guard kills school-going girlfriend

A Grade 9 learner at Oshikuku Combined School became the latest victim of gender-based violence after she was killed in a fit of jealousy by her alleged lover.

Letitia Ndeshuulilwe Nghilongwa, 18, yesterday morning around 03:30 had her face mercilessly shot after she was found in the bed of a young man at Omulamba location at Oshikuku in the Omusati Region.

Although the details leading up to Nghilongwa's brutal murder by her alleged boyfriend are still sketchy, what is clear is that she was involved in another intimate relationship with a fellow learner at the time of her death. Her attacker, a 20-year-old security guard working for 101 Security, has since been arrested and is expected to appear in the Oshakati Magistrate’s Court today on a murder charge.

A classmate of Nghilongwa, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claims she started seeing a Grade 12 learner from Nujoma Senior Secondary School, David Haimwata, 19, after her relationship with her security guard boyfriend turned violent.

"[The suspect] was always bothering her via text messages and whenever they bumped into each other. He didn't want to accept that she was no longer interested," said the friend.

Speaking to Namibian Sun mere hours after the murder incident, a visibly traumatised Haimwata claims he met the suspect months prior to the incident through his flatmate, also a security guard.

On the day in question, the suspect allegedly left the bar he was stationed at and walked over to Haimwata's rental quarters.

Haimwata, who was lying on a mattress next to Nghilongwa at the time, recalls the suspect opening his unlocked door and walking into his bedroom.

"He repeatedly called my name, but I was half asleep and ignored him. Next thing I heard was a gunshot," he said.

"My flatmate came storming to my room and switched on my light. When he saw [the suspect] standing there with a gun, he asked him what had happened, but he didn't say anything. He just stood there still," recalls Haimwata.

When Haimwata pulled down the blanket to wake his girlfriend of two months, he was shocked to find her lying in her blood, dead.

"I still don't know why he killed her. I know there were occasions when he send her text messages, but I never read them, so I don't know how they were acquainted," said Haimwata.

Sergeant Simon Shivolo of the Oshikuku Police Station confirmed that a murder case was reported at their office.

He added that the body was sent to the Oshakati Police Mortuary, but referred further queries to the Oshana Police Regional headquarters in Oshakati.

Chief Inspector Theophillus Kamati of the Oshana Crime Investigation Unit said the police are still investigating the motive behind the murder.

"We do not know if the security guard was also dating the deceased. All we know is that there was no argument, no confrontation, no nothing. There is no clear sign why he did what he did," said Kamati.