2015-03-24Staff Report 2 ONGWEDIVA - Parents and guardians of some of the children who were reportedly slithering like snakes since two weeks ago after they killed a strange snake at Ondangi village, Okaku Constituency in Oshikoto Region have received spiritual healing. The children have been out of school since the incident. Apart from the independence celebration talks last week, the strange snake story left tongues wagging. The story also went viral on social networks while some cartoons depicted the dire predicament at the village with one caption under a cartoon depicting a witch on a broomstick reading, “Okaku, slow down witches ahead-entering at your own risk”. Ruusa Ngwali, who spoke from a prayer camp at Oshikango, said the children have been doing well since Friday after attending a prayer session at the True Gospel of Salvation Ministry Apostle. The children returned to the village yesterday. “The children last slithered like snakes on Friday during a prayer session, however, since then they have been calm and it looks like they have recovered,” said an excited Ruusa Ngwali, who last week appealed to the nation to assist the children spiritually. The children, who were on their way to collect water, are said to have started slithering like snakes after throwing bottles, stones, as well as firing sling shots at the snake with catapults, killing it instantly. The snake was engaged in a fight with a chameleon when one of the boys discovered it. Ever since the snake was killed, the children have been behaving hysterically, destroying items in their homes - including mattresses, school books as well as beating and biting people who tried to rescue them. Equally shocking, according to Ngwali, is the voice of an elderly woman, who would speak through the children questioning why her snake was killed, and also demanding that her snake be brought back to life. ‘“Bring back my snake, I want my snake alive, why did you kill it’, the voice repeatedly said,” related Ngwali. In an interview with New Era last week, Ngwali said the day the snake was burnt and buried, snake sounds were heard everywhere in the village. Also, the affected children and parents had to spend a night in their mahangu fields. “It was a terrible day, while we were in the mahangu field as small earth-coloured as well as pink snakes kept cropping up from nowhere crawling into the children’s legs. A distance away from a tree where the snake was buried, we could observe light,” said Ngwali. Ngwali could not contain her excitement when she spoke to New Era yesterday. She thanked pastor Erickson Festus for the prayers that brought their children back to sanity. She said the children have been behaving normally since Friday. Equally, she thanked the community for the gifts that they showered the children with. Constituency councillor of Okaku Joseph Kapya Endjala confirmed the incident saying it is the first of its kind in the constituency. The Commander of the Oshana Regional Police, Commissioner Ndahangwapo Kashihakumwa, said no case has been opened as such matters are left to traditional leaders to handle. The police can only assist in ferrying the children to hospital, as it has been doing since the incident occurred, or if perhaps a fight erupts, he said. 2015-03-24Staff Report 2
