The 33-year-old man, who allegedly killed his minor children on Sunday evening, travelled with them from Windhoek to the Oshikoto region.

This was hours after he allegedly attempted to strangle their mother with a rope.

The suspect, who appears before the Ondangwa Magistrates’ Court today, is originally from Onkani village in the Omuntele constituency, where the murders occurred.

The children, Rosalia Sheya (4) and Andreas Sheya (2), were reportedly lured away by their father, who told them he would take them to meet their mother.

Instead, he allegedly killed them a few metres away from their grandmother’s house before fleeing the scene.

“He texted me and said, ‘I killed them. I killed the children…’ So, I called him and asked, ‘So you killed them without mercy?’ He said: ‘Yes, I twisted their necks. They did not even scream as I killed them one by one,’” recounted Liina Shimbundu, suspect’s cousin.

She said she was in Windhoek when her cousin broke the news late Sunday night.

Shimbundu said the relationship between the suspect and the children’s mother had long been troubled, marked by constant arguments and violence.

Shortly before travelling to the north with the children, he allegedly tried to strangle their mother with a rope in Windhoek, but she managed to escape.

“He then took the children, travelled to Ondangwa on Thursday, slept there, and on Friday reached Onkani village,” she narrated.

The suspect’s mother, Selma Thomas, said when her son arrived home, he proudly announced to her that he had brought her grandchildren.

She was initially happy – even applauding him, unaware of his sinister intentions.

“He told some family members that he was upset because his girlfriend’s sister insulted him and alleged that he was not the father of the children. But the love he showed for his kids when they came home was too much. He did not want them to move away from him. Little did I know he was planning something bad,” she said.

“Why is he killing these poor innocent children? They are defenseless. It is painful,” Thomas cried.

She added that she was not at home when the incident occurred.

A neighbour also received a disturbing message from the suspect on Sunday night.

“He texted me to go get the kids before their bodies are eaten by dogs, since he had killed them and was going to kill himself. I told him not to kill himself but to surrender to the police. That’s what he did,” said the neighbour.

Oshikoto regional police commissioner Ndeshipanda Iifo confirmed that the suspect handed himself over at Okatope Police Station on Monday morning.

A family member, Otto Uusiku, has appealed for assistance to bury the children, saying their grandmother is unable to raise funds for the double funeral.

The incident has shocked the community and leaders alike. Member of Parliament Willem Amutenya said he was devastated by the horrific murders.

“My deepest condolences go out to the family, friends and community impacted by this unspeakable tragedy. These children deserved a future. 

As we grieve, we must also face a harsh reality: mental health support in our society is not where it needs to be,” he said.

He added that mental health deserves the same urgency, resources and attention as physical health.

“We need stronger early intervention systems, more accessible community-based mental health services and better support for families in crisis,” he said.

– vkaapanda@nepc.com.na