Five suicides in three days

TUYEIMO HAIDULAOSHAKATIThe police have expressed concern about increasing cases of suicide after five people took their own lives over the New Year’s weekend.Police Inspector-General Sebastian Ndeitunga has urged Namibians to pay attention to each other, saying on average 1.4 suicides happen per day.Ndeitunga pleaded that people should speak up and encourage each other to seek counselling, as the increase in suicides is worrying.The police chief made the same call last year when he announced that the police had recorded over 500 suicides that year.Sunday’s crime report indicated that a resident of Omukoko village in the Omusati region, Benyamin Wilhelm (50), had hanged himself from a mopani tree on Friday morning.That same day, an Angolan national aged 24 hanged himself from a tree at Omauni-1 village in the Okongo area of the Ohangwena region. The police did not release the deceased’s name as his next of kin had not yet been informed.Another suicide occurred in the Umulunga township at Grootfontein on Friday morning when Theophilus Hailya John (44) hanged himself.In Windhoek’s Damara Location, 20-year-old Eddie Ortman (20) hanged himself from a tree in his parents’ backyard on Saturday.A 35-year-old woman in Narraville, Walvis Bay, committed suicide after a quarrel with her husband on Sunday evening. It is alleged that she hanged herself with a belt in the toilet.StatisticsThese are not isolated cases. In 2020 Namibia had the fourth highest suicide rate in Africa and the 11th highest globally.Between January 2020 and June 2021, 745 Namibians took their own lives.Around the world suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged between 15 and 29. The World Health Organisation estimates that a death by suicide occurs every 40 seconds, leading to an estimated 800 000 lost lives each year.Warning signsEvelina Amakali, a social worker who spoke to Namibian Sun in her personal capacity, says the signs to look out for in someone who might be contemplating suicide include restlessness, withdrawal from friends and as uncontrolled or unexplainable anger. Amakali says sudden behaviour change should also be monitored and suicide threats should always be taken seriously.She says while the reasons that bring people to the point of suicide vary, hopelessness is one of them.“Others are shattered dreams, death of loved one, guilt, hysteria, long-term illness, broken relationships and many more,” Amakali says.Assisting grieving familiesShe says society can play a role in assisting the grieving family by assuring them that it was not their fault that their family member committed suicide.“Most of the time families feel worse when there’s a suicide note left behind. It’s important to refer to the note and act according to how they feel about what’s in the note.“If there’s no suicide note, then help find the answers they are looking for and if they are unrealistic, then just treat that as grey area.”She says families are encouraged to seek help from professionals such as social workers and psychologists. Spiritual counselling can also help.– tuyeimo@namibiansun.com

Five suicides in three days

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-04

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Five suicides in three days

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-04

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