By Rochelle Neidel
TSUMEB – As you walk in to the house of the Guim family there is an apparent dark cloud hanging over their heads – darkened more by admission of the fact that 13-year-old Elizabeth is forever gone.
Children look confused as their elders weep every now and then in remembrance of the life of a young girl that was lost at the hands of a merciless perpetrator, who is yet to be apprehended for his heinous deeds. Elizabeth was raped too, so there is genuine belief the culprit is a man.
New Year’s celebrations were short -ived for the Guim family. News reached them that their teen daughter was found dead –apparent strangled. She was a Grade 6 learner at St Francis Primary School.
She was last seen alive in a local night club – and questions are being asked about why a 13-year-old would be allowed in a club. A petition to local owners of drinking spots is being drafted to appeal to them to discriminate against their revellers on the basis of age.
Elizabeth’s guardian, Hermien Guim, narrated how Elizabeth left home promising to be back, a promise that she sadly could not keep.
With tears in her eyes, Hermien says Elizabeth was a very outgoing young girl, energetic and always on the move, she loved visiting friends and family as she was talkative but also very short-tempered.
“I don’t even know how to start, someone has killed a child that I raised. I can’t ask why? But why?” she said.
Immediately there is a moment of silence as she tries to put together words to tell the story.
“On the eve of New Year’s day she left home after I had warned her to take care on her paths as during new year’s celebrations it’s not always safe. She promised that she would be back safely. I believed her because she washed clothes and I assumed she would come back to dress up as she liked looking nice but she never came back,” she says.
Hermien says Elizabeth, as young as she was, loved making friends. She loved the company of friends so much that if it would get late whilst visiting friends, she would only return the next day.
“I am deeply shocked and helpless, what was that child feeling as she was dying? I know she was fighting back as they were raping and killing her because she even had a broken arm. She was a fighter, happy but short-tempered.”
Hermien says another girl from the neighbourhood died a similar death no so long ago.
“There is a killer on the loose. It’s the same guy that killed the other girl. What does he do with these things? Is it not enough that he goes around raping and killing?”
“There are members of the community that saw a guy forcefully take Elizabeth out of a night club but refuse to speak up. When will there be justice? I know she will never come back but how many girls must die before these criminals pay?”
she adds tearfully” “As a family we are hurt and out of words. It hurts so bad I don’t know how to tell you.”
New Era also spoke to other family members with whom the now deceased stayed with on a regular basis. Some were very hesitant to speak whilst other could not wait to express their dissatisfaction.
“She’s gone. They killed her. They had no mercy,” said Elizabeth’s uncle before walking away, unable to fight back tears.
On Monday this week friends and family as well as members of the Tsumeb community visited the place where Elizabeth was killed where they held a prayer and a meeting to discuss a petition they want to hand over the police as well as the bar owners in that area.
The group of people suggested stricter measures for bar owners that allow minors to enter their bars and they also suggested that police take action against bar owners who do not enforce safety measures at their businesses.
The group has agreed to hold a peaceful demonstration against crime and violence in the town this week .
Elizabeth Guim is expected to be laid to rest this weekend in Tsumeb.