Family denies witchcraft claims in grandparents’ gruesome murder

Kayeura village headman Markus Haingura, a close relative of the elderly couple murdered in cold blood last week, has rejected police claims that the brutal killings were linked to witchcraft.He said the family are devastated by reports that witchcraft played a possible role in the deaths of their devout Christian relatives.Haingura told Network Media Hub (NMH) yesterday that the suspect in the double murder, a 27-year-old grandson of the victims, allegedly hacked Clemens Hamukwaya (79) and Maria Mukuve (84) to death with an axe, striking both at the neck multiple times. The murders took place last Friday at the family’s homestead at Kayeura village, Kavango West.“The way the family was butchered was horrific,” Haingura said. “This is not something anyone would want to witness.”The headman recounted that the suspect, who is expected to make his first court appearance this week, had only recently returned to the household, a mere three days prior to the attack. He had allegedly been sent away from a farm where he was staying due to his idle behaviour.Gruesome killings Haingura said the man had reportedly attacked his grandfather first, nearly severing his neck. He then turned the axe on his grandmother, striking her twice in the neck and once in the ribs. The axe reportedly got stuck in her rib cage and was left lodged there, the village headman said. After the killings, the suspect allegedly helped himself to cooked maize meal and other belongings, including his father’s possessions, before fleeing the scene via the riverside road. Haingura said the suspect later allegedly turned himself in to police.A report issued by police investigators stated that the alleged motive was “linked to witchcraft within the family”.However, the family has strongly dismissed this. “Those two were churchgoers, Christians. They have never been reported or suspected of witchcraft. It’s painful that the police are spreading a narrative that has no basis,” Haingura told this publication. Violent streak allegedly not newHe also revealed details about the suspect’s alleged troubled past. He reportedly has a pending case with the local traditional authority over a previous housebreaking incident. In addition, family members previously reported him for trying to remove his aunt’s ear with a screwdriver and for threatening to kill her. “He’s known to be abusive, especially towards his aunt, who was the one raising him,” Haingura said. Haingura described the suspect as a manipulator who frequently abused alcohol and drugs. “Each time he did something wrong, he would try to play the victim, pretending he was being tormented or seeing things,” the headman claimed. “He even claimed that children and his aunt were coming into his room at night to harm him. But this was just part of his pattern to deflect blame.”Family dynamics The family household included six people, including the two elderly victims, the suspect, his aunt and two school-going children. Frangilda Nehongo (45), the suspect's aunt, is the youngest of the couple’s four children and had taken on a caregiving role within the family.Clemens, the deceased grandfather, had retired years ago, while their son, the suspect's father, now lives in Walvis Bay. The suspect remains in police custody and is expected to make his first court appearance this week.phillipus@nmh-hub.com.na

Family denies witchcraft claims in grandparents’ gruesome murder

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-05

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Family denies witchcraft claims in grandparents’ gruesome murder

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-05

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