NDF man kills fiancé, himself

An alleged love triangle between a woman and two members of the Namibia Defence Force (NDF) on Friday morning ended in a brutal crime of passion that has sent shockwaves through the residents of Okahao in the Omusati Region.

It is alleged that 35-year-old Selma Lyetufila Eita, who works at the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration in Okahao, was secretly seeing another man while engaged to be married in December to Johannes Nangolo.

Nangolo, 33, suspicious that Eita was having an affair with his colleague, travelled over 600 kilometers from Windhoek to Okahao on Thursday night in an attempt to catch her red-handed with her lover.

On the morning of the tragedy, Eita left her lover in her bedroom and walked out of the rented property she shares with three other tenants around 07h40 to go to work.

When she noticed Nangolo waiting for her at the gate of a primary school across her house, Eita allegedly ran back into the house and went straight to the bedroom of the tenant renting the room next to hers.

Speaking to Namibian Sun, the only eyewitness to the tragedy, Daniel Aludhila, recalls getting dressed for work when Eita stormed into his bedroom and begged him to help her close his door.

“I didn’t understand what was going on at the time, but before I could get to the door, a man pushed my door wide open and fired a bullet aimed at my head,” a shocked Aludhila said.
“It missed, but I leaned against my cupboard and stood there completely paralysed. I’m convinced they both thought I was dead.”

After hearing the first shot and realising her life was in danger, Eita allegedly walked up to Nangolo and in a soft tone asked him if they could please talk and resolve the matter amicably.
“He (Nangolo) didn’t say anything,” recalls Aludhila.

“He just looked at her and with his pistol in his left hand, he put the barrel to her forehead and fired. Selma fell to her knees and face down onto the floor.”

“He then turned around so that he was facing the door, switched the gun to his right hand, held the barrel against the side of his head, closed his eyes and pulled the trigger. I remember him falling backwards,” the witness said.

Aludhila claims after Nangolo fell to the ground, he [Aludhila] immediately put on his shoes and ran to the nearest police station to report the incident.

“When we got there with the police, the guy who was in Selma’s room came out and asked why the police were at the house,” he said.

“I explained that Selma had been killed and he seemed visibly shocked. The guy slept throughout the shooting and didn’t even hear the gunshots.”

Both Aludhila and Eita’s alleged lover, whose name is known to Namibian Sun, were taken to the Okahao State Hospital for trauma and counseling after the incident.

NDF colleagues, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claim Nangolo had worked his full shift on Thursday, but decided to drive to the North that evening when he heard the man accused of having an affair with his fiancé was seen earlier in the day traveling to the North.

“There were already rumours that Selma was indulging in a sexual relationship with our colleague behind Nangolo’s back,” an NDF member said.

“When Nangolo noticed (Eita’s lover) was not scheduled to work on the weekend and that he had traveled to the North, he knew he was going to see Selma.”

A police officer from Okahao’s investigation unit anonymously told Namibian Sun that the firearm found at the crime scene had no bullets left, leading to suspicions that Nangolo had gone there with the intention to kill himself, Eita and her lover.

Omusati Police Spokesperson, Warrant Officer Linekela Shikongo, could not, however, confirm allegations that Nangolo only had three bullets, adding that the only information right now was that the firearm was not licensed.