I don't want their forgiveness
A 50-year-old cuca shop owner who was brutally assaulted and her shop burnt down to ground for allegedly poisoning people, says all she wants is her assets back.
She does not want their forgiveness, she says.
On the weekend of 29 April, Hilma Sevelenus from Ongenga village in the Okaku constituency of the Oshana Region suffered serious injuries at the hands of angry community members who accused her of poisoning a pensioner.
At the time of the incident, when interviewed by Namibian Sun, Sevelinus narrated her story of how her hands and legs were tied up with wire, followed by being kicked all over her body.
They lashed her with thorn bushes and threw stones at her head.
Yesterday Namibian Sun revisited her at home where she shared the impact of the events on her life and her image in the community.
“To this day, they have not come with proof. They have not come and said here is the proof, you are responsible for the pensioner's death. Nothing. The question is, why did they do it to me?” she asked.
After the incident she lived at a neighbour's house, fearing for her but now, she is able to move about freely. There is still fear, she says, but not as much as after the attack.
“You will remember I used to live at my neighbour's house after what happened, but now I am living at my home and I am moving around freely. The fear is not entirely gone because you don't know what is in the minds of those that did this to me,” she said.
Sevelinus said last week she was informed by a fellow community member that those that hurt her are planning on visiting her to ask for forgiveness, which she says she will not accept.
“If they are planning to come and say 'I am sorry' and leave, they must forget about that. What I want is for them to reconstruct my shop, stock it up, replace the assets they destroyed and give my money that they took. As for what they did to my body, I will never forgive them for what they did to my body,” she said.
“They must also repair the corrugated iron sheets they hit with their weapons as those things were bought by my 19-year-old son who is currently taking care of me and his siblings.”
She has taken a hard knock with the loss of her cuca shop and has no income to earn as her shops was destroyed.
“From that cuca shop at least I could make some money and help my family but now I can't even give my daughter who is in Grade 12 taxi money to go to school,” Hilma said.
At the time of the incident, Hilma said only one of the community members was arrested but she recently learnt he was released on bail.
She also shared that attempts were made by some of her family members who supported the mob that attacked her to withdraw the charges, which she refused.
“They contacted me telling me to withdraw the charges and tell the police I am doing so because I had forgiven them, but I asked them why I will do such a thing? None of the elders of those who did this to me came to talk to me, which is a sign that they do not care.”
KENYA KAMBOWE
She does not want their forgiveness, she says.
On the weekend of 29 April, Hilma Sevelenus from Ongenga village in the Okaku constituency of the Oshana Region suffered serious injuries at the hands of angry community members who accused her of poisoning a pensioner.
At the time of the incident, when interviewed by Namibian Sun, Sevelinus narrated her story of how her hands and legs were tied up with wire, followed by being kicked all over her body.
They lashed her with thorn bushes and threw stones at her head.
Yesterday Namibian Sun revisited her at home where she shared the impact of the events on her life and her image in the community.
“To this day, they have not come with proof. They have not come and said here is the proof, you are responsible for the pensioner's death. Nothing. The question is, why did they do it to me?” she asked.
After the incident she lived at a neighbour's house, fearing for her but now, she is able to move about freely. There is still fear, she says, but not as much as after the attack.
“You will remember I used to live at my neighbour's house after what happened, but now I am living at my home and I am moving around freely. The fear is not entirely gone because you don't know what is in the minds of those that did this to me,” she said.
Sevelinus said last week she was informed by a fellow community member that those that hurt her are planning on visiting her to ask for forgiveness, which she says she will not accept.
“If they are planning to come and say 'I am sorry' and leave, they must forget about that. What I want is for them to reconstruct my shop, stock it up, replace the assets they destroyed and give my money that they took. As for what they did to my body, I will never forgive them for what they did to my body,” she said.
“They must also repair the corrugated iron sheets they hit with their weapons as those things were bought by my 19-year-old son who is currently taking care of me and his siblings.”
She has taken a hard knock with the loss of her cuca shop and has no income to earn as her shops was destroyed.
“From that cuca shop at least I could make some money and help my family but now I can't even give my daughter who is in Grade 12 taxi money to go to school,” Hilma said.
At the time of the incident, Hilma said only one of the community members was arrested but she recently learnt he was released on bail.
She also shared that attempts were made by some of her family members who supported the mob that attacked her to withdraw the charges, which she refused.
“They contacted me telling me to withdraw the charges and tell the police I am doing so because I had forgiven them, but I asked them why I will do such a thing? None of the elders of those who did this to me came to talk to me, which is a sign that they do not care.”
KENYA KAMBOWE
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