Zorena Jantze
THE Body of Lucky Uwuseb (35), mostly known as “Queen” by loved ones and friends, was discovered in a decomposed state in a riverbed close to Golgota over the weekend, with close family and friends labeling her death as a hate crime.
Queen, who is a transgender woman, is a part of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community and was allegedly last seen in the presence of an Aawambo man on Thursday 29 February 2024, in Golgota before her death.
The friends of Queen, Ronnie Stanley, Edwin Daniels, and Gerhardus Januarie, recounted the gruesome crime to the informanté’ and added that this is a hate crime, as it was the second murder case involving a member of the LGBTQ community, after a 36-year-old man was also discovered dead on Sunday in Dorado Park in his home, robbed of his vehicle and furniture.
“I last saw her two weeks back. According to police sources, the murder incident happened on Thursday night; however, the body was only discovered on Sunday. Queen had a nomadic lifestyle and would at times come to stay with me in Khomasdal or stay in Golgota,” Stanley said.
He added that according to neighbours, Queen went to the Bridge 99 bar, as well as Fantastic bar on Monte Christo road (now called Eneas Nanyemba road) on the day she had been killed. “We just got the news on Sunday; she had left the previous week to Golgota,” Stanley said.
The friend further said that neighbours spotted Queen walking around with an Aawambo man on Thursday and that the neighbours questioned the unknown man about Queen’s whereabouts when they again saw him on Friday, to which he allegedly just said “Queen is dead.” The neighbours however thought that this was a bad joke and thought nothing of it.
Stanley added that the body was discovered by one of the community members who stay alongside Eneas Nanyemba road, a woman who had gone to relieve herself in the riverbed, but instead stumbled upon the decomposed body of the victim. He added that the neighbours recalled that the suspect had told them that Queen is dead, and thereafter notified the police to track him down. Stanley added that the suspect was arrested on Sunday, 3 March 2023, on the same day the body was discovered, and that the suspect had been found in possession of a plastic bag which contained the victim’s clothes, as well as had scratches all over his body. The suspect identified as Shafa Amutenya appeared in the Katutura Magistrate court and was remanded in custody, with the case postponed for further investigations.
The body had been found hidden amongst tall grass and sunflowers and was found in a decomposed state.
The Namibian police force, media liason officer, Elifas Kuwinga, upon request for an official incident report, however added that no information was submitted to him.
