Heroism amidst tragedy

Amidst the tragic deaths of 13 people within the span of little more than a day on Namibian roads last week, a Namibian hero emerged, praised nationally and internationally for rescuing an eight-month-old baby boy, the sole survivor of a horror crash on Thursday afternoon between Windhoek and Okahandja in which five people died.

In a video that went viral last week, a group of colleagues can be heard arriving at the site of the crash shortly after it took place.

A baby can be seen lying in the road next to the wreckage of a Volkswagen Amarok bakkie, and a male voice urges: “Quickly, someone get the baby.”

The voice of a woman later identified as Tulonga Neputa is heard saying in response, “I need to get the baby. Let me go get the baby.”

Seconds later, Neputa is seen running towards the mangled vehicle, despite worried warnings from her colleagues, protesting that it was too risky, as the vehicle could explode at any second.

“Tulonga, don't go there! The car will burn!”

On Friday, during a conversation with Neputa, she shrugged off the accolades of heroism.

“I am not a hero. Other people lost their lives. I just did what I needed to do,” she said. She explained that when she and her colleagues arrived at the scene, they immediately spotted eight-month-old Dex Geiger lying on the ground next to the Amarok he had been travelling in with his grandfather.

“It was all dust and smoke everywhere. As we approached the wreckage of the bakkie, I looked down and saw a baby lying on the ground, on his back. He was crying uncontrollably at the time. My mother's instinct just kicked in. I just wanted to get out of that car and get that baby. That is all that was on my mind.”

After Neputa picked up the shocked infant, he stopped crying, clinging to his rescuer.

Neputa said her first instinct was to hold him tight. “I kissed him and I soothed him, and I told him all will be fine.”

She carried the baby to the car she had arrived in and “wiped the blood off his face. There was some on his nose and his mouth.”

Soon after, she handed over the child to paramedics who arrived at the scene.

Neputa, who was praised and thanked by thousands over the weekend for her quick and selfless response, told Namibian Sun she was relieved to hear that the baby's parents were not involved in the crash, and that he could be reunited with them.

She added: “God is glory. It was all about being there at the right time, at the right place.”

She also pleaded with Namibians to stop speeding and to be aware of other road users.

“So many lives are being lost on our roads, sometimes because of our own negligence. People have to change their attitudes. We are losing mothers, brothers, sisters, aunts, everyone else.”



Scenes of death

Over the weekend it was reported that Dex Geiger was in a stable condition and had been reunited with his parents, Nadja and Jurgen Geiger.

The Namibian police confirmed that his grandfather, Frank Joachim Heger (58), had died in the accident.

Dozens of tributes went out to Heger over the weekend, including one by the Ministry of Land Reform who hailed him as a “Namibian icon”.

Heger, who had served on the ministry's Land Reform Advisory Commission from 2013 until the time of his death, was hailed by the ministry for “his knowledge and noble input” which made a “significant impact in the land reform programme and it will be remembered in the ministry with gratitude.”

He was also a stalwart in the hunting industry.

The police confirmed that all four occupants of the BMW that had collided with the Amarok died at the scene.

Two of the deceased were identified as Nikodemus Iyambo (40) and Eric Patson Mbago. The names of the other two have not yet been released.

Various reports on social media, unconfirmed by authorities at the time of going to print, stated that the accident was the result of speeding by the BMW driver, which led to a tyre burst and loss of control of the vehicle, causing the car to collide head-on with the Amarok.

Further unconfirmed reports alleged that the BMW was using a spare wheel that is limited to a speed of 80km/h.

The police further confirmed the identities of the deceased in an accident that took place between Mariental and Keetmanshoop on Wednesday between a bus carrying 35 passengers and a Nissan bakkie.

All four occupants of the bakkie died instantly. They were identified as Asor Takataeo Baisako (38), Regina Katzao (59), Helena Naambo Shihwandu (30), and Kassian Mwaafa Nambondi (32).

A third accident, which happened between Rehoboth and Windhoek late Thursday afternoon, allegedly also after a tyre burst, led to the loss of another four lives.

They were identified as Mercia Maria Jantze (47), Magrieta Van Wyk (41), Max Marcelo Owoseb (3) and Jenny Josef (18).



Tyre safety

All three accidents were related to burst tyres, and experts have urged drivers to be more aware of tyre maintenance before driving long distances.

Aubrey Oosthuizen from the West Coast Safety Initiative told Namibian Sun that the importance of tyre safety is neglected by many drivers, who too often buy non-branded tyres from unscrupulous dealers.

“Only buy from reputable, well-known dealers and brands. Find out the specifications of tyres and about tyre safety, and their speed ratings. They can give guidance,” he said.

JANA-MARI SMITH