Kavango’s river of death

· Shifafure Pontanus Kanyanga – December 2021 · Engidius Kayanguya – October 2021 · Ryan Frederick Kanyanga Mukuve – June 2021 · Unidentified man – March 2021 · Unidentified man – February 2021 · 24-year-old man - January 2021 · Kalida Immanuel Haindaka – December 2020 · 63-year-old woman - November 2020 · Alius Kambowo Munkanda – October 2016Kenya Kambowe RUNDUWhile thousands of people rely on the Kavango River to source water for themselves and their animals, the waterway has lately become a hotbed for mysterious deaths - or a dumping site for people killed by unknown assailants in nearby villages.In many cases, these bodies are discovered with parts missing – fuelling talks that some were ritual killings, and exclude drownings and attacks by crocodiles and hippos.A gruesome discovery on Tuesday of the lifeless body of 48-year-old Shifafure Pontanus Kanyanga, who left his house on Monday to collect his cattle from a grazing area, is the latest in the spate of strange riverside deaths.His body was found floating in the Kavango River at Ndiyona constituency’s Shikoro village.In October 2016 at the same village, the lifeless body of 39-year-old Alius Kambowo Munkanda was also found floating in the river.In October, 35-year-old Engidius Kayanguya from Rundu’s Sauyemwa township was found floating in the river with a number of his body parts – including his testicles - missing.The investigation into this matter is still ongoing as the Namibian police await a probe from its Angolan counterpart after the body was found on that country’s side of the river.Fines, but no arrestsIn June, the body of 22-year-old Ryan Frederick Kanyanga Mukuve, a student at the University of Namibia’s (Unam) Rundu campus, was also found floating in the Kavango River at Kapako village.In September, the Hambukushu traditional court ordered eight people to pay N$22 000 each, or 15 cattle, over Mukuve’s death after they admitted to killing him. Strangely, the men have not been arrested by Namibian police yet.In February, Kavango West police reported that an unidentified man’s body which was found floating off the banks of the Kavango River at Sigone village.Days later, they again reported that another body had been found in the river at Mayara village.In January, the body of a 24-year-old man was found floating on the Kavango River near the Kasote informal settlement. In December 2020, the lifeless body of Kalida Immanuel Haindaka was found floating near a lodge close to Rundu.In November that year, the body of a 63-year-old woman – also with missing parts - was found floating in the river at Shitemo village in the Ndonga Linena constituency.The deaths have raised concerns, as many people in the two Kavango regions are generally known to be strong swimmers, thus ruling out drowning in many cases. Respond, or elseMeanwhile, in July, the youth of Mukwe and surrounding villages in Kavango East petitioned police chief Sebastian Ndeitunga over mysterious killings in their communities, and gave the police 15 days to respond to their demands – or they would take the law into their own hands.A month earlier, the community of Shadikongoro village in Kavango East also protested and claimed that 18 people had disappeared over the years, with their bodies later found either floating in the river or in the bushes.They accused shebeen owners in the area of being behind the disappearances. This, in a ritual to boost their businesses, they said.Police concernWhen contacted for comment, Kavango East police commander, Commissioner Johanna Ngondo, told Namibian Sun there are various reasons why bodies are found in the river.She said the communities’ reliance on water from the river is amongst the reasons why people continue to go to the river despite the threat of crocodiles and hippos.“The issue of people not having potable water is contributing factor to why people are going to the river,” she remarked.Ngondo said bodies being found floating on the Kavango River should serve as a sign to regional leaders to ensure that no more lives are lost due to people seeking water at the river.She, however, added that the police do conduct post-mortems on the bodies, and said that if foul play is determined, an intensified investigation is then lodged.kenya@namibiansun.com

Kavango’s river of death

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Namibian Sun 2026-06-10

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Kavango’s river of death

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Namibian Sun 2026-06-10

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