Lahja Nashuuta
Inside a classroom at K.W. Von Marees Primary School in Okahandja, two chairs were heartbreakingly left empty. They once belonged to five-year-old Ingrid Maasdorp and six-year-old Roswinds Fabianu, who mysteriously disappeared from the school grounds last week in broad daylight.
Both girls were kidnapped, raped and brutally murdered. Their bodies were discovered days later in nearby bushes and under bridges, sending shockwaves across the nation.
Tragically, the horror did not end there. The lifeless body of 15-year-old Beyoncé !Kharuxas was found just days later in the bushes near the Five Rand informal settlement. Her discovery came barely 24 hours after Fabianu’s body was found.
A massive search operation mobilising police, the Namibian Defence Force and community members eventually led to the grim discoveries. Despite the eventual recoveries, the Okahandja community remains rattled, fearful and demanding answers.
“She was a happy child, full of dreams,” said Peneyambeko Elias, Roswinds’ aunt tearfuly.
“She used to say she wanted to be a mechanic when she grew up” she added.
Fabianu’s father Fabianus Paulus, devastated and shaken, shared the painful last moments before his only child’s disappearance.
“I received a call from my sister at 15h00 that she hadn’t returned from school. When I tried to call the driver who usually drops her off, his phone was off. Later, he claimed she wasn’t at school when he arrived, but he never informed us. That was the last time we heard from him until midnight” Paulus narrated.
The family is now calling for justice.
“Our child cannot just be buried while the perpetrator walks free,” said Fabianu’s father. He believes the suspect may still be at large, citing reports of another attempted abduction at a nearby school just days ago.
On the other side of town, the Maasdorp family is also reeling from grief.
On Tuesday, demonstrations and protests were observed throughout the country while calling for action to ensure that no child faces such cruelty again.
Community members, school-children, political leaders and religious figures gathered under the new A1 Bridge near Veddersdal, the site where Ingrid’s body was found, for a candlelight vigil and moment of reflection
A petition signed by 977 Okahandja residents was handed over to the Namibian Police, demanding immediate action and heightened protections. The deputy minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Dino Balotti condemned the attacks. “Let this not be another tragedy that fades,” the politician said, tears in his eyes. “Each life lost is a loss to the entire nation”, he added.
Said Balotti: “These brutal acts tear apart families, devastate communities and leave lasting scars on our society. We demand justice for the victims, real protections and true accountability. Every child lost is a call to action.” Meanwhile, the !Kharuxas family mourns a bright girl who had dreams of becoming Miss Namibia and participating in international beauty pageants.
“She told me, ‘I want to look beautiful tonight. She loved pageants and modelling.
She was dark, beautiful, with long hair and had a vision”, her aunt recalled.
Beyoncé was raised by her grandparents on a farm outside Okahandja after her mother died in a car crash when she was just two years old. Her grandmother, Clara Bohans, described her as hardworking, always helping around the farm, though sometimes rebellious.
“I warned her about going out at night and bad influences. Sometimes she listened. Sometimes, she would sneak out anyway”, said the grandmother.
Bohans urged other girls to be cautious. “The perpetrators are still out there. We don’t know who they are. That’s why our children must be careful, especially at night”, she stated.
Community demands
In the wake of the recent tragedies in Okahandja, concerned parents are urgently demanding stronger safety measures in schools. Through a community petition, they are calling for comprehensive reforms to ensure the protection of all learners.
Among their key demands are the presence of full-time security personnel at every school gate, mandatory visitor sign-ins with identification and stated purpose, and the locking of school gates and classrooms during school hours.
Parents insist that no child should be released to unknown individuals without written consent, and learners in Grades 0 to 3 must be dropped off and picked up only by authorised persons. Additional safety measures include a ban on hats or headgear that obscure visitor identities, the installation of CCTV cameras at all school entrances, corridors and playgrounds, and increased teacher supervision during arrivals, breaks and after school.
“We can’t go on like this. Our children are not safe, and that is unacceptable,” said Elizabeth Garises, a mother of two primary school learners. Another parent, Veronica Garises, whose niece was schooling with one of the victims, added, “We’re not asking, we’re demanding that schools take responsibility and prioritise our children’s safety”.
Ingrid was buried last week, while Roswinds will be laid to rest this weekend. Beyonce’s funeral is set for 10 May, the family announced. – lnashuuta@nepc.com.na