Strange things do happen, and they are happening in our country. But this one is not just strange – it is out of this world. It is neither here nor there.
When a man acts worse than a beast – only God knows what he is. Words fail us.
The beast has unleashed an orgy of terror against our people and hell has descended upon us. Life cannot be the same when we have in our midst a maniac, a beast that is ready to poke fun at death and play mickey-mouse with the police.
A ruthless sadist is off the leash, and who knows when he is going to strike again. This mad man is out to cause mayhem and to inflict as much suffering as he possibly can. Although the murderer could be anybody – a woman or a man – our instincts tell us that it is a he, and please do not ask us why we say so. Only a man that is too obsessed with women would be so thoughtless about their worth as human beings.
That anyone would be so cruel as to decapitate other human beings and in the most chilling and grisly manner cut them to pieces, is beyond words.
The numbing discovery of body parts of a woman along the Windhoek-Okahandja highway is no longer numbing. Shock and anger must now give way to resolve.
That we have a serious crisis in our hands is no longer in doubt. Our society is being torn apart by violence. Communities and individuals are constantly under attack. Women and other vulnerable members of our society are no longer safe.
They have to look over their shoulders each time they walk on the streets in case they become the next victims of murder or rape. They have to take all precautions necessary if they are to survive until the next day.
Concomitantly, parents and family members do get jittery every time one of their female members goes out of sight. They have to continuously call to check on them, in case they meet the “Ripper” somewhere along the way.
Entire communities are not only outraged by the latest murder. They are also worried that their own may fall prey to this killer. Some worried parents and relatives have been calling the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) to warn their daughters to be careful. Across the country – and in Windhoek in particular – there is a sense of insecurity that this mad man might strike again.
Ironically, the killer does not seem to care a hoot about the massive manhunt that is out for his capture. He is either too confident about his invisibility or simply sick in the head that he does not realize that sooner rather than later the long arm of justice will catch up with him.
Perhaps such thought is bolstered by the fact that the killer has been on the run for some time now since the death of Juanita Mabula – that is if it is the same man.
He sneaks at will and drops pieces of human flesh at public places where such flesh can be easily found. It is clear that this is someone who wants to put the authorities on notice about his presence while making an open invitation to the police to come and join in his game of poker.
This nation cannot be held to ransom by one man, or a few – if indeed this is the work of more than one person. It is time we devote all our resources and the best brains we have in the police force and national intelligence service for the capture of this moron. Our country cannot continue to earn a bad name because of the acts of a single mad man. He must be found immediately and put where he belongs – behind bars.
The latest case and others, including the mysterious death of a farm labourer near Rehoboth, are a wake up call about the seriousness of escalating crime. And this requires that we devise the best strategies to deal with this scourge, as well as resources. The police should be given resources that are commensurate with the challenges they face in the fight against crime. They deserve better.
If there is any security threat against our nation, it is from within. It is criminals within that pose a threat to peace, and nobody ashore. The Police need vehicles and equipment. Their welfare needs to be taken into account, hence a review of their salaries. If national security is a top priority, then the police have to be given sufficient resources to ensure internal peace and stability.
Lastly, we hope the National Conference on Gender-based violence – coming as it does against the backdrop of escalating crime – will come up with concrete and practical solutions to the problems facing our nation.