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Home / Rundu mayor rallies support for ‘massacre’ family
Rundu mayor rallies support for ‘massacre’ family
2018-07-05Staff Report 2 John Muyamba RUNDU – Rundu Mayor Verna Sinimbo has urged the town’s residents to offer their support to the family of the five people who were bludgeoned to death with a log in the early hours of Sunday, allegedly by a 20-year-old relative. The suspect, Jesaya Chuhunda, who on Tuesday appeared in court on five counts of murder, stands accused of having killed his grandmother 77-year-old Ndongo Ntumba, his biological mother Ndara Elizabeth, 46, and his nephews Musenge Petrus, 6, Daniel Hausiku, 4, and Musenge Elifas, aged 3. The mass killing has appalled Rundu residents and other Namibian citizens because it could apparently have been averted had the police taken action, but they claimed they did not have a car to attend to the emergency call. Following public outrage at suspected police ineptitude, the Namibian Police Force Inspector-General Sebastian Ndeitunga has ordered an investigation into how the police handled the case. Sinimbo consoled the bereaved family yesterday. “I urge all residents to support this family at this difficult time and to assist where possible. Let us stand with them in this time of mourning, because this is not their tragedy alone, but it is a loss to all of us,” she said when visiting the family. Sinimbo hopes the deaths will not be in vain and says the incident should force conversations about the safety and protection of Namibian women and children. “And I hope it’s a conversation that will inspire change, so that the lost lives of this family will not be in vain. Let this incident serve as a reminder that there is nothing normal about crime being perpetuated against women and children and we should never become indifferent nor passive, but rather work together in rooting out this evil from amongst us,” she said. The family needs support in getting tents to use as shades at the funeral, acquiring coffins for the five deceased, food for the duration of the funeral and more as they are struggling at the moment. The accused in the mass murder at Ndama informal settlement was denied bail when he appeared in the Rundu Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. He was refused bail due to the seriousness of the offence, with the court saying it is not in the best interest of justice for him to be granted bail. The magistrate also decided that Chuhunda, who is reportedly mentally challenged and a suspected dagga user, be sent for mental observation and advised him to apply for legal representation. Chuhunda was arrested on Sunday after the police tracked him down after the victims’ bodies were discovered by one of the relatives on Sunday morning. Chuhunda’s case was postponed to August 20 for investigations to be completed. Magistrate Vivian Ndlovu presided while Godfry Shiwolo represented the prosecution. The five victims will be buried this Saturday at Sauyemwa cemetery with the memorial service planned for Friday at their residence at Ndama. 2018-07-05Staff Report 2
