‘No update, no call, nothing’: Okahandja families say police have gone silent

More than a year after three girls were murdered in Okahandja, no arrests have been made, and bereaved families say police have gone silent in an investigation that appears to have stalled.

Three girls, Ingrid Maasdorp (5), Beyoncé !Kharuxas (15) and Roswinds Fabianu (6), died in Okahandja within weeks of each other between March and April 2025. Their deaths triggered widespread protests and demands for justice.

While police insist enquiries remain ongoing, relatives of the victims claim communication has all but ceased.

A source within the police, speaking to Namibian Sun on condition of anonymity yesterday, said that “any small information picked up during the investigation period is only shared with family members”.

However, families strongly dispute this.

Jakob Aeseb, a family member of !Kharuxas, told Namibian Sun that they have received no updates for months. “The only time they were busy or gave updates was the two weeks after the incident last year. That was the only time I can remember,” Aeseb said.

“There is no communication, no update, no call, nothing from the police or investigation team," he claimed. "They are not doing anything. It is really not an easy thing not to get any update."

Nothing

Similar concerns were raised by Helalia Nghipunya, the mother of Fabianu, who said repeated attempts to obtain information have gone unanswered.

“They’re not communicating at all… none, nothing,” Nghipunya told this publication.

“Before we went to do the unveiling, we sent an email to the regional commander to update us on how far they are with the case, and they responded in a letter… and that was the last time we heard from them.”

Correspondence seen by Namibian Sun shows that in September 2025, families formally requested feedback from the police ahead of a memorial event.

In response, Otjozondjupa regional commander Commissioner Phillip Hidengwa confirmed only that “investigations in the said matter are still ongoing” and encouraged families to share any information that might assist investigators. Hidengwa confirmed this again yesterday, saying "there is no update".

Nghipunya also told Namibian Sun that there was allegedly a snake burned on her daughter's grave, damaging her tombstone. "Apparently people were trying to burn a snake that was seen in the cemetery, and then it burned her tombstone. I'm saddened this happened before her death anniversary date," she said.

At the time of the deaths last year, national outrage prompted high-level political attention and the establishment of a task force, alongside promises of swift justice. Yet, despite early momentum, no arrests have been made in any of the three cases.

Civil society groups have since stepped in to demand accountability. On 29 April, the Stop the Violence Group handed a petition to police, calling for fast-tracked investigations and urging that it be forwarded to the president.