‘Toxic relationship’ sparks community unrest in Rundu

A woman accused of burning down her boyfriend’s shack in Rundu’s Tumweneni informal settlement has allegedly tried to kill him at least seven times.Yet community members claim he keeps going back to her, refusing to press charges and leaving an entire community terrified.That’s the chilling allegation made by Alexandra Muyabango, the vice chairperson of the Tumweneni community committee, who is also the cousin of the victim, 47-year-old Joseph Anton.“We are living with a person who has attempted to kill my cousin seven times. This is no longer a relationship – it’s a ticking time bomb,” Muyabango said. Muyabango claimed that despite the repeated alleged attacks, which include reports of multiple stabbing attempts, a poisoning plot and two arson attempts, Anton reportedly continues to protect the woman. He claimed that Anton even showed more concern for her well-being than for his own destroyed home.Latest actThe woman is accused of setting Anton’s zinc house on fire on Sunday night while he was at work. All belongings, including a rented generator and a water tank, were destroyed in the blaze. “She admitted she lit the match and locked the door before walking away,” said community committee chairperson Marcella Ndara.According to Muyabango, this is not the first time the woman tried to burn the shack down. A previous fire was extinguished by neighbours before it could spread.“She tried to stab him twice. He escaped. Then she stabbed herself. Another time, she tried to poison him. The fifth time, she set the house on fire, but it was put out. The sixth, she hit her daughter with a mop so badly she was arrested. And now this fire. That’s seven violent incidents. How is she still free?” he asked.‘They must leave’The Tumweneni community development committee is now calling for both the woman and Anton to be removed from the settlement.“This is no longer about love or forgiveness. It’s about public safety. What example are we setting? That you can burn someone’s house and just walk away?” Muyabango pointed out. “They want to continue their toxic relationship? Let them. But not here. We’re tired. We’re scared. And we’ve lost all faith in the law to protect us.”Muyabango believes witchcraft may be involved, citing Anton’s sudden and repeated shifts in behaviour whenever the woman is in trouble.“When I called him and told him the house was burning, he sounded ready to find out who did it. But the moment he found out it was her, he changed completely. He refused to open a case. He’s defending her. Even now, he’s worried more about her sitting in a cell than about losing everything,” he said.“This is not normal. There’s 'juju' at play here. That’s the only thing that makes sense.”Safety concernsNdara said residents have reached breaking point. The woman’s behaviour, she said, is not only a danger to Anton but to the whole community.“She once threatened to poison water containers that people leave outside. She’s unpredictable. She stabbed herself in the chest. She beat her daughter. She’s said to social workers she wanted to kill that child,” Ndara claimed. Following the latest incident, the woman was taken in for questioning by police but later released, a decision residents have criticised, saying it has left them shaken and feeling unsafe. “She even came back and threatened the daughter again the next day. The child’s life is in danger. How many times must something happen before the system acts?” Ndara asked.

‘Toxic relationship’ sparks community unrest in Rundu

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Namibian Sun 2025-10-15

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‘Toxic relationship’ sparks community unrest in Rundu

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Namibian Sun 2025-10-15

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