Maria David and Zorena Jantze
IN the wake of the deeply disturbing murders of three young children in Okahandja – Rosalind Ndinelao Fabian (6), Ingrid Maasdorp (5), and Beyoncé !Kharuxas (15) – the Namibian Police Force is set to take a central role in addressing the crisis.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has announced that the police will be taking firm control of the situation surrounding these killings.
As part of immediate measures to enhance security and aid ongoing investigations, a curfew will be implemented in Okahandja.
This has also led to the postponement of the 2025 Tourism and Trade Expo, which was set to take place from 29 April to 03 May 2025, due to the brutal killing incidents in the town.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said that the police will be responsible for providing comprehensive details regarding the enforcement and operational hours of this curfew.
Beyond these immediate actions, the President also called upon the nation to foster a renewed sense of communal responsibility for the guidance and safety of all children, emphasizing the creation of peaceful and secure environments where children can thrive.
“As a nation, we are all yearning for Namibia to be a peaceful country, and not being awakened to the brutal killing of our little children,” she said.
The President also visited the families of the children who were killed in Okahandja in the past few days.
Nandi-Ndaitwah consoled the families and the Okahandja community at the Nau-Aib location.
The visit comes after the tragic loss of two schoolgirls who were abducted from KW von Marees Combined School, namely Ingrid Maasdorp, five, and Rosalind Fabian, six, whose bodies were discovered in two separate locations in the Verdesdal area in Okahandja.
The President also paid her respects to the family of Beyonce Kharuxas a 15-year-old girl who was raped and murdered over the past weekend in Okahandja as well.
Meanwhile, Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, Lucia Iipumbu, has also expressed dismay over the brutal killings of minors.
Iipumbu declared the situation a “national crisis,” emphasizing that the abduction, rape, and murder of even one child is unacceptable, and the occurrence of two such tragedies in quick succession cannot be normalized.
“Our children are the future of this nation, and their lives must be protected at all costs,” she said.
The President assured the nation that the government is taking these heinous acts with the utmost seriousness.
She announced that she has directed the Inspector General of the Namibian Police Force to deploy the best available resources to urgently and thoroughly investigate these crimes, ensuring the swift apprehension and prosecution of the perpetrators.
Beyond law enforcement action, Nandi-Ndaitwah called for a comprehensive societal response.
She urged all institutions that interact with children, including schools, churches, hospitals, and child-centred organizations, to urgently develop and implement robust child protection and safeguarding policies.
These guidelines, she said, must guarantee the highest level of safety and vigilance in the care of minors.
She also emphasized the crucial role of parents and guardians, strongly encouraging them to ensure children travel in groups, especially when going to and from school, and are never left unaccompanied.
She further encouraged children to look out for one another.
