Selma Ikela
Windhoek
A seven-year-old boy died instantly yesterday when he was electrocuted after he stepped on an illegal live electricity connection in Havana informal settlement.
The boy, Andreas Tangeni-Omwene Teophilus, was barefooted when he stepped on the electric cable after returning from a communal tap where he went to fetch water.
His father, Filipus Teophilus, 29, told New Era that the area where the cable was positioned was wet, and it was uncovered.
“He (Tangeni) stepped on the cable and he started screaming. A woman from the neighbour came with a jersey and pushed him away but he was already electrocuted,” said the father.
Filipus called on the City of Windhoek to upgrade Havana informal settlement and provide residents with water and electricity.
“You can see that illegals connections are now killing children. We have people who have businesses here and connect electricity illegally to their premises – and they survive from those businesses. Some business people even ask their friends to increase the electricity voltage when they see it’s weak but then it is dangerous like in this case. So I am appealing to the municipality to provide services, especially electricity.”
Filipus related that his son, who was a Grade 1 pupil at Havana Primary School, had just returned home yesterday morning from collecting his report card.
“He (Tangeni) told me daddy I passed and I told him ‘you did well my son’. I further told him that before he goes to play outside he should go fetch water and leave it in the sun to get warm, so that when he returns he baths.”
Filipus said his son then joined other boys who were on their way to fetch water but he cautioned him (Tangeni) not to take long.
“One of the boys he went with came running to our home and told us that Tangeni was electrocuted,” said the father.
City police spokesperson Fabian Amukwelele confirmed the incident. He said the boy stepped on a cable that was illegally connected in the settlement. “His hand had a fresh scar and it looked like he was stuck on an electricity cable,” said Amukwelele