OSHAKATI – Erick Ndakolo (56), who has been sleeping by his mother’s tombstone at a cemetery for 18 days, returned home yesterday.
The cemetery is located at Uupindi location in Oshakati.
Oshana police commander, Commissioner Naftal Sakaria, had a meeting with Ndakolo, and advised him to stop sleeping in the cemetery because it is not safe.
He agreed with the police and packed his tent, pots and blankets.
His mother died in 2003, and the tombstone was built in 2017.
He has been sleeping in a tent that was placed on the grave, along with his pots and bow and arrow.
The reason to bring along the bow and arrow to the cemetery was to protect himself against thieves.
He guarded his mother’s tombstone after it was vandalised and bricks were stolen by members of the public.
Ndakolo, a former police officer at Oshakati, said he is mentally stable, and not crazy.
“I was not happy when they vandalised my mother’s tombstone. It pains me,” he said.
Ndakolo added that it was never easy to save money to construct his mother’s tombstone.
“I know what I am doing. The aim is to protect my mother’s tombstone,” added the former cop.
He is now appealing to good Samaritans for money to buy bricks and bags of cement.
“I can accept bricks or bags of cement from anyone willing to help.”
Residents of Uupindi location were shocked to see someone sleeping in the graveyard, as this was never experienced before.
Those who were at the cemetery yesterday when Ndakolo was packing his belongings narrated that they thought he was a ghost.
“At night, we normally saw someone sitting around the fire in the cemetery.
It scared us,” said Martha Shidolo, a resident of Uupindi.
Meanwhile, while addressing the residents at the cemetery, Commissioner Sakaria urged people to stop vandalising tombstones.