'She thought he was only joking' – slain teacher’s sister

Rundu teacher Veronika Tjangano Ngongo had been repeatedly threatened by her son before he allegedly killed her with a panga and a spear earlier this week, her family says.

“He would threaten to kill his mother, saying, ‘Nani ku kipaga tupu’ (I will just kill you one day)”, Ngongo’s older sister, Wilhelmine Ngongo, speaking from her late sister’s home in Sauyemwa, told Namibian Sun.

Ngongo (52) was allegedly killed by her 31-year-old son, Lukas Ihemba Sifwaku, at their Sauyemwa home in the early hours of Tuesday.

Initial police reports stated that she was attacked with a panga and a spear, with three of her fingers severed during the deadly assault.

Her family says Sifwaku’s behaviour had become increasingly concerning after he returned from prison following a robbery-related case last year.

“From the time an incident happened where money was taken from an account and he was arrested, when he was released from prison, that is when everything changed,” Wilhelmine said.

“He just hasn’t been himself.”

Wilhelmine said her nephew had become withdrawn and increasingly difficult to communicate with, often keeping to himself and reacting badly when family members asked him to assist with household responsibilities.

“He doesn’t speak to people at home. He doesn’t actually like being with others. For him, it is just to eat. Once you try to ask him to do anything in the house or assist, then he will see you as someone who is against him,” she said.

She said Sifwaku did not have a group of friends and was “always alone”.

Wilhelmine said the family had also observed that he smoked and would respond “in an ill manner” when they tried to speak to him.

“I will not deny that he smokes. I have seen it myself,” she said.

The family’s concerns deepened around May or June when a fire broke out in Sifwaku’s room, destroying almost everything he owned, including his school materials.

Wilhelmine said the family was fortunate that his gas bottle was empty, as it could otherwise have caused a bigger problem.

She said after the incident, she became concerned that Sifwaku may have tried to take his own life and that the family should have sought outside intervention at the time.

“That is when I started believing that something was seriously wrong with him and that they should have taken him to the police or sought help at that time,” she said.

Wilhelmine, who lives on a farm, said her children regularly updated her about incidents involving Sifwaku while he lived with his mother in Kaisosi before they moved to Sauyemwa.

Increasing concerns

Her concerns became more serious after she learnt that Sifwaku had allegedly told his mother that he would kill her one day.

Wilhelmine said her sister did not take the alleged threats seriously and did not seek assistance from social workers or other authorities.

"His mother would think that he was only joking or that he was not serious,” she said.

“She did not try to seek help, even from social workers, and now we are here today,” she added.

The killing has left the family grieving while also fearful about what could happen if Sifwaku were eventually released.

“My fear now is if he is released. I would like to request that he remain inside because we all fear for our lives, especially the siblings,” she said.

Motherless children

Ngongo’s death has also left the family worried about the future of her younger children, who are still at school.

“Who is going to pay their school fees now? Who is going to take care of them?” she asked.

Ngongo leaves behind four children, including Sifwaku, who himself has a young child, Wilhelmine said.

Her death has also created a financial gap in the extended family because Ngongo, through her work as a teacher, helped support relatives.

“We are really hurt as a family because she used to provide for the extended family,” she said.

Sifwaku appeared in the Rundu Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on a charge of murder, read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act.

The court denied him bail, and the matter was postponed to 1 February 2027 for further investigations. He indicated that he would conduct his own defence.

Wilhelmine said her concerns were not driven by hatred towards Sifwaku but by fears for the family's safety and what could happen if he returned home without intervention.

The family is now preparing to lay Ngongo to rest while trying to come to terms with the sudden loss of a mother, sister, teacher and breadwinner.

Wilhelmine has appealed to good Samaritans to assist with the funeral arrangements, saying the family needs support following the sudden loss of their loved one.