ONGWEDIVA – A 16-year-old Angolan girl was hospitalised at Onandjokwe Hospital after she was allegedly assaulted and forced to work as a domestic worker without pay at Oshiyagaya village in the Onyaanya area of the Oshikoto region.
The teenager, originally from Calonga village in Cuvelai in Angola’s Cunene province, was first treated at Onyaanya Health Centre before being transferred for further medical care.
According to a police report issued by Namibian Police spokesperson Kauna Shikwambi, the suspect was arrested on Friday and is expected to appear before the Ondangwa Magistrate’s Court today.
A case has been opened at Okatope police station, including charges of contravening Section 254(1)(a) of the Child Care and Protection Act, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH), contravention of Section 3(1), (3) and (6) of the Labour Act 11 of 2007 and contravention of Section 3(1) of the Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act 1 of 2018.
“It is alleged that the suspect employed the victim, who is underage, as a domestic worker and failed to provide her with food. The suspect allegedly assaulted the victim by hitting her with a dry stick all over her body,” she said.
She added that the suspect also allegedly deceived the victim by promising to pay her for the work she was doing but never paid her.
Speaking to New Era, Oshiyagaya village headman Andreas Namupala said the suspect had approached traditional authorities towards the end of last year to register the girl as a domestic worker.
“At the time she came with the necessary documentation and requested to register the girl to work for her,” he explained.
However, Namupala said the condition in which the girl was later found raised serious concerns.
“As I am looking at the victim now, that is not how she was looking before. The suspect has mistreated the victim,” he said.
According to the headman, the teenager told community members that she had never been paid since she started working for the suspect. “She said she was denied food and forced to work without resting,” he added.
Namupala further revealed that the victim said she was threatened when she asked to return to Angola.
“She told us that when she said she wanted to go back to Angola, the employer threatened to report her to the police so that she would be arrested,” he said.
One neighbour, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the girl endured extremely harsh living conditions.
“She really went through a lot. She used to sleep in a half-open zinc shelter without a mattress, where people cook, just lying on filthy old blankets,” the neighbour said.
However, the suspect denied abusing the teenager when approached for comment by New Era. “I do not abuse her. I just noticed that she is an ill person because her wellbeing keeps changing, but when I ask, she says she is not sick,” she said. The suspect admitted that the girl slept in a zinc structure used for cooking but claimed it was temporary.
“Yes, she sleeps in the zinc shelter where people cook, but that was just temporary while we were still looking for a proper room for her,” she said.
In a statement, the Women of Positive Influence in Southern Africa condemned the abuse. “We strongly condemn any form of cruelty, exploitation, or inhumane treatment against vulnerable individuals, particularly migrant domestic workers who often find themselves in difficult and dependent situations,” the statement read.
Many Angolan nationals, including minors, cross the border into Namibia, particularly from the Cunene province, in search of better living conditions or employment opportunities due to poverty and limited economic prospects there.