Sawi Hausiku 

RUNDU – A 37-year-old male inmate died on Monday after collapsing while in custody at the Rundu Police Station, prompting a police inquest.

The Namibian Police Force (NamPol) Kavango East crime investigations coordinator, Deputy Commissioner Bonifatius Kanyetu, confirmed the incident yesterday.

He said the inmate allegedly began vomiting before collapsing and was rushed unconscious to Rundu State Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival in the early hours of Monday.

The deceased had been detained on a charge of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act, and was reportedly awaiting mental observation. His identity has been withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Police investigations are ongoing.

In a separate incident on the same day, a 49-year-old woman died after being struck by a Volkswagen Polo on the Trans-Caprivi Highway in Rundu while attempting to cross the road.

The vehicle then veered off the road and crashed into a stationary car.

The deceased has been identified as Mariana Likuwa, and her next of kin have been informed.

The driver has not been arrested and investigations are underway to determine whether they were in possession of a valid driver’s licence at the time of the incident.

The body of the deceased was transported to the Rundu State Hospital mortuary for a post-mortem examination.

Kanyetu warned that the stretch of the Trans-Caprivi Highway near Ndama and Tuhingireni remains a high-risk zone for pedestrians due to residential settlements on both sides of the road, urging both motorists and residents to exercise extreme caution.

-Nampa 

Photo: Heather Erdmann