GBV shatters family
Every morning Emilia Nangula Siami is forced to look at the two-bedroom structure in which her daughter was hacked to death, as cultural norms dictate it can only be dismantled after a year.
Pain is etched on the face of 49-year-old Emilia Nangula Siami.
And when she speaks about how her daughter was hacked to death, she grimaces. Naimi Ngambo Kalenga's murder has taken its toll on Siami and her grandchildren, who have lost their breadwinner.
Their homestead at Sikali village in Kavango West speaks of the poverty unleashed on that fateful morning of 16 August, when Kalenga was hacked to death with an axe, allegedly by her long-time boyfriend.
The suspect, an Angolan national, fled to his country of birth but was subsequently arrested.
Extradition proceedings are currently underway between the two countries. The suspect and the victim have three children aged one, three and six.
Siami said she now sells a traditional brew known as Kashipembe in order to earn money to feed her grandchildren. She explained that her daughter was a small time entrepreneur who also did odd jobs in the community.
“Life has really become difficult without my daughter,” Siami said.
“My daughter used to sell clothes and food and work in people's mahangu fields to simply feed her children and also assist the family.
“Now she is gone and things have become difficult for us. For one second, just ask yourself: If the breadwinner is gone, how do you think her children will live if the person who took care of them and us is no more? It is really painful what happened to my daughter.”
Siami also revealed it was difficult to bury her daughter, as the financial strain had not been eased by Good Samaritans.
“No one came forth to assist us, not even our various community leaders,” she said.
Kalenga and the suspect lived together and had constructed a two-bedroom corrugated iron structure in which the horrible incident took place.
According to their cultural norms and beliefs, a structure in which a loved one has perished can only be dismantled a year after the incident happened, Siamai said.
“When I look at that structure, I cannot stop thinking about my daughter. We will only put it down on 16 August next year, because of our cultural norms.”
Living in fear
She is also living in fear, saying the police may have told her the suspect was arrested, but she cannot be totally sure until he appear sin court.
Siami fears he may return to harm them.
She also says there has been a lack of police communication on the extradition process.
“Although the police have informed us that the suspect is arrested, we are not convinced that it is totally true because it is easy to say so, but we want to see him in a court of law in order to believe that indeed he was arrested,” Siami said.
When contacted for comment, police chief Inspector-General Sebastian Ndeitunga, told Namibian Sun the suspect was indeed arrested and that the administrative process to extradite him has commenced.
Ndeitunga explained that extraditing a person from one country takes time and urged the family to remain patient, while adding that justice will be served.
“Up to now we are still in the process of trying to find out whether the Angolan government will release him to us. The person is arrested in Angola,” Ndeitunga said.
Ndeitunga urged the family to engage the regional police leadership on matters concerning the case.
He said if they are not assisted, they can contact him directly.
Meanwhile, Siami is pleading for support from Good Samaritans to assist to her raise her three grandchildren.
Last month she registered them to benefit from government's monthly child grant, which they will begin to receive next month.
KENYA KAMBOWE
And when she speaks about how her daughter was hacked to death, she grimaces. Naimi Ngambo Kalenga's murder has taken its toll on Siami and her grandchildren, who have lost their breadwinner.
Their homestead at Sikali village in Kavango West speaks of the poverty unleashed on that fateful morning of 16 August, when Kalenga was hacked to death with an axe, allegedly by her long-time boyfriend.
The suspect, an Angolan national, fled to his country of birth but was subsequently arrested.
Extradition proceedings are currently underway between the two countries. The suspect and the victim have three children aged one, three and six.
Siami said she now sells a traditional brew known as Kashipembe in order to earn money to feed her grandchildren. She explained that her daughter was a small time entrepreneur who also did odd jobs in the community.
“Life has really become difficult without my daughter,” Siami said.
“My daughter used to sell clothes and food and work in people's mahangu fields to simply feed her children and also assist the family.
“Now she is gone and things have become difficult for us. For one second, just ask yourself: If the breadwinner is gone, how do you think her children will live if the person who took care of them and us is no more? It is really painful what happened to my daughter.”
Siami also revealed it was difficult to bury her daughter, as the financial strain had not been eased by Good Samaritans.
“No one came forth to assist us, not even our various community leaders,” she said.
Kalenga and the suspect lived together and had constructed a two-bedroom corrugated iron structure in which the horrible incident took place.
According to their cultural norms and beliefs, a structure in which a loved one has perished can only be dismantled a year after the incident happened, Siamai said.
“When I look at that structure, I cannot stop thinking about my daughter. We will only put it down on 16 August next year, because of our cultural norms.”
Living in fear
She is also living in fear, saying the police may have told her the suspect was arrested, but she cannot be totally sure until he appear sin court.
Siami fears he may return to harm them.
She also says there has been a lack of police communication on the extradition process.
“Although the police have informed us that the suspect is arrested, we are not convinced that it is totally true because it is easy to say so, but we want to see him in a court of law in order to believe that indeed he was arrested,” Siami said.
When contacted for comment, police chief Inspector-General Sebastian Ndeitunga, told Namibian Sun the suspect was indeed arrested and that the administrative process to extradite him has commenced.
Ndeitunga explained that extraditing a person from one country takes time and urged the family to remain patient, while adding that justice will be served.
“Up to now we are still in the process of trying to find out whether the Angolan government will release him to us. The person is arrested in Angola,” Ndeitunga said.
Ndeitunga urged the family to engage the regional police leadership on matters concerning the case.
He said if they are not assisted, they can contact him directly.
Meanwhile, Siami is pleading for support from Good Samaritans to assist to her raise her three grandchildren.
Last month she registered them to benefit from government's monthly child grant, which they will begin to receive next month.
KENYA KAMBOWE
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