RUNDU – A spiritual journey turned into tragedy on Saturday evening when a man drowned in the Kavango River  after a canoe that he and his three other church members were traveling in capsised. 

“Four men were traveling from Kambumbu village to attend a church service across the river in neighbouring Angola when their canoe overturned mid-river,’’ said the Kavango West acting regional commander, Adrian Sikukutu who confirmed the incident to New Era.

While three men survived and managed to swim to safety, 22-year-old Kudumo Christian of Nkonke village was allegedly swept away and his lifeless body was only discovered yesterday near Nzinze village following an intensive search by the Water Policing crew.

Authorities continue to urge residents to avoid crossing the river in overloaded or unstable canoes, especially as water levels remain unpredictable.

This latest fatality adds to several other cases of drowning in the region. Last year, Kavango West became a growing concern, as it recorded most of the 25 drowning deaths reported nationwide last year.  

Erongo region was second in terms of drowning incidents. Among the deaths recorded late last year were an 18-year-old who died in while attempting to cross the river, and a 30-year-old woman who drowned when her canoe capsised while returning from Angola. Both incidents took place in November. 

Earlier this year, the Kavango River’s water levels rose to over 5 meters, prompting the Hydrological Services of Namibia to issue high flood alerts for early 2026. Just last month, another 32-year-old man reportedly drowned at Sinzongoro village.

–jmuyamba@nepc.com.na