By John Muyamba
MASIVI – Kavango West Governor Sirkka Ausiku on Friday visited the family of the mother and son who were brutally murdered at Masivi.
The horrendous murder of the mother and her son allegedly by two grade seven learners at Masivi village a week ago brings to four the number of people killed in similar fashion. Drug and alcohol abuse are said to be rife at Masivi.
Mbunza tribal chief, Hompa Alfons Kaundu, accompanied Governor Ausiku when she visited the grief-stricken family at Masivi.
Ausiku went to console the family of the late Kadana Laurencia, 35, and her son Samwere Thomas, 6, who died last week after being hacked with an axe in the room where they were sleeping at the backroom of the shebeen where she worked as a bar attendant.
Kambinda Lucas, 19 and Katombera Daniel, 18 are two grade seven learners at Pandureni Primary School located opposite the shebeen where the double murder occurred, are the accused and have appeared in court.
Before meeting the family she passed by the school were the two learners attend school.
“When this sad event happened I was in Windhoek and I heard it on the news that this is what has happened in Kavango West at Masivi village. One was under the impression this was done by adults but sadly it was done by school going teenagers and that is really sad because nobody expects to hear that your child has committed such an act,” Ausiku said.
She said she has learnt learners at the village are being affected and influenced by the use alcohol and drugs. “People especially school going children should refrain from the use of alcohol and drugs as they are still young and thus their time and thoughts should be in school, as that is very important. Alcohol and drugs are poisonous to the community,” she said.
According to police sources, the two suspects said during interrogation their intention was to break into the woman’s room and get her to give them the keys to the shebeen but things got out of hand and the woman was too strong for them and the other started chopping the woman with the axe and when the child screamed one of the suspects who had the axe hacked the child too. The murders were committed either late on Monday night or early on Tuesday morning.
Speaking at the same event, the Hompa Alfons Kaundu said the community must open their eyes to the danger of alcohol and drugs abuse.
“If you don’t open your eyes this village’s future generation will be in crisis as no good comes out off the use of these things we call drugs and alcohol,” said the Hompa.
He added if the learners who are being regarded as future leaders lose their way to alcohol and drugs then one can’t imagine the future of this country.
The Hompa warned the people involved, “You should stop selling alcohol and drugs to children, you are killing their generation.”
“Be warned that once you are caught you will be made to pay dearly as this is not acceptable in my area,” Kaundu warned villagers.
Ausiku urged the parents in the community to pay attention not only to their children but also to all children, as being a parent doesn’t only mean a parent to your biological children only and by looking out for other children as well, they will mould them collectively into good children.
She also urged parents and teachers to encourage children to go to church as people learn a lot of good morals from religion.
After talking to the community and the learners, the governor gave words of encouragement to the bereaved family urging them to be strong.
“This has not only affected you alone as a family but it has also touched all of us, as well as the entire country. We are all pained by the terrible event but I am glad that as a family you did not take matters into your own hands,” she said.
The mother and child were buried on Sunday at Karangana cemetery at Kasote village west of Rundu. The deceased woman worked at Ndina Shebeen No 2, opposite Pandureni Primary School at Masivi village and lived in a back room on the premises of the shebeen where she and her six-year-old son were found slaughtered.
The woman was identified as Laulencia Kadana, 35, a mother of two children. Her oldest child is a girl in Grade 7, and according to the village headwoman, Henok Regina, she (Kadana) lived at Masivi village most of her life.