Man kills ex-girlfriend with tie

A 21-year-old woman was yesterday strangled to death with a tie allegedly by her ex-boyfriend. The victim was Elizabeth Ekandjo, a third- year Information Technology (IT) student at the Polytechnic of Namibia and an intern at Telecom Namibia.

The suspect allegedly attempted killing himself after murdering the woman. The 29-year-old man is the son of a local businessman (name withheld) who owns a chain of general dealers in Windhoek.

Namibian Sun was told the couple was dating for about a year but the woman called off the relationship last month.

The incident happened between 01:00 and 03:00 yesterday at Edsel Street in Khomasdal, where Ekandjo and a friend rented a room in a backyard flat.

The police suspect the man jumped over the high wall at the back of the flat and entered through the bedroom window. There are no signs of forced entry to the premises or the flat. The suspect also left two 500ml bottles of petrol on the premises and according to the police it seems he had carefully planned the murder.

The owner of the house, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Namibian Sun he only learnt about the murder when Ekandjo’s roommate informed him about the incident.

The roommate says she was forced and locked in a cupboard at knifepoint by the suspect who then led a tussle with Ekandjo, subsequently strangling her to death.

The suspect then released the other woman from the cupboard and forced her to open the remote-controlled gate for him. She then woke the landlord and told him what had happened.

“I went to their room and felt the girl’s pulse as she lay on the floor but didn’t feel anything. I then called the police,” said the house owner.

The flat has two bedrooms and the other room was occupied by another tenant.

The tenant reportedly knocked at the other woman’s door after she heard noise coming from their room. She asked if everything was alright. “Out of fear and because she was held at knifepoint the girl in the cupboard replied that everything was fine,” said the landlord.

“I bought this house recently and this is happening in my backyard. To have these memories of someone being murdered here is not good. I think I will sell the house once I am done with renovations,” the man told Namibian Sun at his house yesterday morning.

He said Ekandjo was a reserved woman and the two roommates usually stayed indoors.

“I did not have issues with the girls, like the gate being opened late at night.”

He was also informed that after the couple broke up, the suspect was often seen in the area, stalking and threatening Ekandjo.

Deputy Commissioner Sylvanus Nghishidimbwa, the Khomas Region Crime Investigation Co-ordinator, confirmed the murder. After the incident was reported the police went looking for the suspect.

According to Nghishidimbwa the man threatened to commit suicide right after the incident but the family brought him to the police. He was arrested just after 08:00. The suspect is expected to appear in court today or tomorrow and his name cannot be released until then.

MURDERED: Elizabeth Ekandjo, who was yesterday strangled to death, allegedly by her ex-boyfriend.