ONGWEDIVA – At the height of his business prowess, Ralf Gunter Domas was one of Ondangwa’s prominent business personalities.
However, when tables turned and his business was no longer profitable, Domas was kicked out of their family home by his wife of 10 years, Lena Amukogo.
Today, he is housed at a psychiatric ward in the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital.
Domas (63), who owned Rossini bar and restaurant at Sun Square Mall in Ondangwa, lost his business due to Covid-19.
Domas is a German national, and the family that he established with his Namibian wife was all he had, he told New Era.
He claims to have bored a daughter in Germany but he had never met her, and he has no parents or siblings in either Namibia or Germany.
He is now accommodated at the hospital, where he is provided with accommodation and food, although he is not necessarily a psychiatric patient.
“It is very difficult to describe the emotional torture I am going through right now.
I have been forced to stay in a psychiatric ward since last year. I had no place to stay,” he said.
Reliving his woes, Domas said for 10 years, he had been living with Amukugo and their two children, aged nine and seven at Onkuni village in the Oshana region.
“I treated my wife like a queen. She has been unemployed but I gave her all she wanted, as I was able,” he claims.
But after the business collapsed, his wife chased him out of the village house, and he found himself surviving on begging for coins to buy food and cosmetics. The two are still legally married.
“The problem is that I am suffering from depression, which puts me at risk of suicide. I feel very bad. I lost my kids, my dignity – just everything,” stressed Domas.
On 15 September 2021, she chased him out of her parents’ village house, where they lived.
“I had to leave everything behind – my two cars, a Mercedes Benz and a Nissan NP200, which she sold later after forged signatures,” he stated.
In addition, his wife allegedly took his children away from him without a court order.
“After many protests from my side, the Oshana police commander, Naftal Lungameni Sakaria allowed me to open a case against my wife for stealing my cars and for forgery of documents,” he stated.
“Now, I have come to the truth. In the event of a divorce, my wife has to pay me 50% of the household effects, assets and debts, coupled with a financial settlement that is around N$1.6 million,” he said.
He said he knows he will never get the money, and he is not insisting on the whole amount.
All he wants is his cars, which he intends to sell. Proceeds from the sale, he said, will be used as capital to turn around his fortunes.
“I don’t need a lot of money… N$30 000 will be enough to pay for my accommodation and start my business, and I will take it from there,” said Domas.
Giving her version side of the story, Amukugo profusely denied Domas’ claims, accusing him of abuse.
“I did not chase him out of the house. He abused and abandoned me when he had money. He insulted me and never cared about me,’’ said Amukugo.
She said her husband came home only after his business collapsed, and that was not because of Covid-19.
She further said he had a lot of friends when he had money and would barely come home the same day after work.
“My husband must learn to speak the truth. His behaviour and attitude put him in the situation where he is now. I tried helping and advising him many times, but he did not want to listen,” stressed Amukugo.
She said she never forged any documents and she did not stop children from seeing their father, adding they even visited him in December at the hospital.
“From the information I obtained, my husband is mentally ill. That is why he is kept in the psychiatric ward. He is on medication,” he added.
According to Commissioner Sakaria, Domas opened a couple of cases against his wife.
“He needs assistance to stand on his feet again from any Samaritan. He is a professional cook and wants to get assistance to rent a place and start cooking for business,” said Sakaria.
He said the case of the stolen vehicle is with the prosecutor general for a decision, while the alleged forged signature was sent to forensic investigation.
According to senior medical officer at Oshakati intermediate hospital Josephine Kanyama, the psychiatric ward was the only place they can accommodate Domas.
“He has been there since last year. At least he is eating, bathing and has a place to stay than roaming around the streets,” he explained.
– vkaapanda@nepc.com.na