ONDANGWA -The mother of two young children allegedly killed by their father, broke down in tears in court as the suspect, Thomas Sheya (33), appeared before the Ondangwa Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Maria Muulikwa became visibly emotional during the court proceedings and had to be escorted out of the courtroom as she cried uncontrollably, overwhelmed by grief while facing the man accused of killing their children.

Outside the court, family members expressed anger and frustration over the handling of the case, questioning why additional charges were not being pursued.

Her cousin, Johanna Ndashiwa, said the family was deeply traumatised and did not even want to see Sheya in person.

“We did not want to see Thomas in court today. The pain is still too fresh for the family. What he did to those innocent children is something we cannot even begin to accept,” she said. Ndashiwa further questioned why the court was not also investigating charges of assault by threat and attempted murder alongside the two murder charges.

According to another cousin Hilya Gabriel, Sheya had allegedly attempted to kill his then-girlfriend prior to the incident, forcing her to flee and seek help from the police. During her absence, he allegedly took the children from their home in Windhoek and travelled north with them.

Gabriel said the family believes Sheya should never be released.

“He killed innocent children who had done nothing wrong. For what he did, he should remain in jail forever,” Gabriel said.

The family also protested the possibility of bail being granted to the suspect, saying they fear justice may not be served if he is released. Details surrounding the murders remain unclear, but preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect, the biological father, returned home on Friday from Windhoek with his two children.

On that fateful Sunday afternoon, he reportedly took the children out, claiming he was escorting them to the gravel road to be picked up.

The crime came to light after he allegedly sent text messages to family members and the children’s mother, stating that he had killed the children and that their bodies were lying next to the Nameya water point.

The deceased children were identified as Ruusa Sheya (4) and Andreas Sheya (2).

After committing the gruesome act, Sheya allegedly fled the scene but later handed himself over to police at Okatope on Monday morning, where he was arrested.

Police investigations into the murders are ongoing. – vkaapanda@nepc.com.na