‘She is an unruly drunkard’

TUYEIMO HAIDULA ONDANGWA The woman accused of beating her daughter Wilka Shikongo so badly that it led to the amputation of her right arm broke down in tears in court yesterday, saying her children have been abusing her for years.Wilka Mbinga (72) allegedly attacked Shikongo (45) at their homestead on 6 August at Omulondo village in the Oshikoto Region.Police reports indicate that Mbinga allegedly used a knobkerrie to beat her daughter, landing her at Onandjokwe State Hospital for medical treatment. Her broken arm did not respond to treatment and was amputated on 6 September at the same hospital.Mbinga appeared in Ondangwa Magistrate’s Court yesterday, charged with domestic violence with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. She will appear again today for a formal bail application. Her case has been postponed to 28 September for further investigations.Magistrate Gabriella Perestrelo told the court that she was aware that the state can oppose bail on first appearance but argued that Mbinga is an old woman who can visibly not walk properly or stand without support.Speaking to Namibian Sun outside the court, Mbinga admitted that she beat Shikongo, but said it wasn’t so bad as to break her arm.A broken homeMbinga said she gave birth to nine children, and of the surviving eight, only one is on good terms with her. She said life has been difficult for her since the passing of her husband in 2004.“I have done everything in my power to provide for those children, but they grew up and became abusive drunkards. Some of them only come home to steal from me,” she said, adding that Shikongo might have hurt herself jumping the boundary wall when she returns from her drinking sprees. This, she said, is a common occurrence.“Yes, I beat her when she touched the spice. But that is not why I disciplined her. I told her to stop going to my kitchen and I didn’t beat her that hard. I wasn’t even aware she had a broken arm because that night she still went out. I only received a call the following day that she was hospitalised.”Mbinga said she has a son who was also arrested for assaulting her and breaking her right leg. She showed Namibian Sun the metal inserted inside her leg which provides support as a result of the injury. Tears welling up in her eyes again, she said her children swear at her and call her a “useless” mother. She added that should Shikongo recover, she is not allowed back in her house and must seek refuge elsewhere.Ndapanda Justine Shiweda prosecuted. – tuyeimo@namibiansun.com

‘She is an unruly drunkard’

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-10

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‘She is an unruly drunkard’

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-10

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