Sheer anguish, anger and more questions than answers best describe the aftermath of the death of a 23-year-old mother and her two children, who were killed in cold blood by the man who was supposed to protect them.

The man also died during the same incident, a triple murder-suicide case that sent shockwaves through the nation.

On Sunday, Josephine Nauses (23) and her two minor children died in Karibib after her shack was set alight by her partner. 

A day earlier, Nauses reported her 25-year-old boyfriend, Mandela Afrikaner Mbaunguraije, to the police for domestic violence.

He was removed from her shack by the police, but allegedly returned early Sunday morning, and set the shack on fire. 

Some say if the situation was handled differently and proactively by the police, the tragedy could have been averted. 

Dark cloud 

At the family in Karibib, during our visit yesterday, a sombre atmosphere prevailed as neighbours sat outside in silence, trying to console the bereaved family members, but struggling to find the right words.

“I could hear my sister screaming for me. I could not save them. The fire and the smoke were very strong. I could see my nieces burning on the bed, but I could not save them. All I could hear were the cries of my sister. It plays in my head over and over. She was crying out for help. He was holding her back, and she couldn’t escape.”

These are the words of a traumatised Judika Nauses, as she recounted the horrifying morning Mbaunguraije broke into the shack where her sister and her two children were sleeping before setting it alight in a jealous rage.

The family home is situated on Ugab street in Karibib, just a stone’s throw from where the horrific incident took place. 

The 25-year-old allegedly set his girlfriend Nauses’ shack on fire, leading to the tragic deaths of her and her two daughters, the youngest fathered by him. 

The eldest of the two minors was seven, while the youngest was just three. 

True to the spirit of an ‘injury to one is an injury to all’ in a typical tight-knit community, which often grieves and celebrates together, some neighbours brought meat and household items to aid the family as they attempted to make sense of the tragedy.

Nightmare

Judika then guided this publication into the sitting room, and narrated the ordeal faced by her deceased sister and nieces.

“They had been in a relationship for over three years. They met when my sister’s eldest daughter was two years old. She was a very kind and helpful person. He, on the other hand, was a very timid person. Yes, he beat her two times. This was almost three months ago. He promised her never to do it again,” Judika recalled with pain vivid on her face and in her voice.

She shared that on Saturday, they had a braai at home.

“Everything was fine. But later, they had a lover’s quarrel, and my sister reported him to the police to be removed from her shack. The police arrived, and informed him to pack his things and leave. He left his things with me, stating that he didn’t know where to put them. He then returned, looking for a basin to wash himself. I told him to leave my sister alone, and that I would give him the basin. He didn’t take the basin, and left for Okahandja.

“In the wee morning hours of Sunday, he returned, and broke into the shack. My sister called me, and I rushed to her aid. Only to find the shack burning. I struggled but managed to push the door open,” she narrated.

But the inferno had engulfed the shack, making it difficult for Judika.

She was helpless.

“There was fire and smoke everywhere. I could hear her screaming out to me to help her. The fire was too strong, and I couldn’t get in,” a broken Judika narrates.

“I will never see my sister and my nieces again. Why did he have to do that?” she asked rhetorically.

Aftermath

Her uncle, Chris Nande, said they tried to clean up what was left from the fire.

“After the police came and collected the remains, we continued to clean up the rubble. We found burned feet, and had to call them back, as they did not do a proper job. I will not forget the sight of what I saw. I am a grown man, but this has broken me,” he said.

Anna Garises, the deceased’s aunt, said they never expected things to turn out this way. 

“His family came to ask for forgiveness. We forgive him. We are Christians, and will not take revenge. But they only have one death, and they will buy one coffin. We have had three deaths. Where will we find the money to buy three coffins? What will we even bury? Will we put the ashes in one coffin? We don’t know what to do,” said Garises, breaking into tears.

Police

A community member, Simson Katamba, said the police could have dealt with the matter differently.

He added that the police are quick to respond to issues such as stock theft but are always late to deal with gender-based violence.

He alleged that the neighbours tried to extinguish the fire with buckets of water until the fire brigade arrived.

Chief inspector Ileni Shapumba of the Erongo Police said, according to the report he received, it was a domestic issue in which the “lady found out that the man was cheating”.

“The police did provide help as requested. However, we cannot arrest someone if there is no case opened. This is a horrific incident. The family even intervened, and wanted them to solve the problem. However, he returned the next day, and carried out his intentions. We must choose not to harm others and to remain within the legal framework. Let us protect life,” he said.

Efforts to get a comment from Mbaunguraije’s family yesterday proved futile, as they were reluctant to speak. 

-lmupetami@nepc.com.na

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