Niël Terblanché
The Namibian Police in the Erongo region confirmed the arrest of three suspects linked to the brutal panga attack and armed robbery of an elderly couple in Henties Bay last week.
According to Chief Inspector Ileni Shapumba, the head of the police’s community affairs division in Erongo, the suspects were apprehended on Sunday morning, mere days after the attack that left Alexander Grobler (77) and his wife, Martha Maria Grobler (69), hospitalised.
The attack occurred on Wednesday night when the suspects broke into the Groblers’ home situated on Henties Bay’s main road.
Armed with pangas, they assaulted the couple before fleeing with their vehicle, N$400 in cash, ATM cards, and a television set.
The vehicle and television have since been recovered.
“We are pursuing the matter with confidence,” Shapumba said last week.
He added that the suspects face charges of armed robbery with aggravating circumstances.
According to the official police report, the attackers abandoned Grobler’s stolen vehicle near Mile 30 and fled into the desert near Henties Bay before their arrest.
Shapumba labelled the attacks as heartless and described the crime as disgusting and unacceptable.
He stressed the need for increased vigilance and community support to protect senior citizens.
“We all need to see how best we can protect our senior citizens. Harming these vulnerable individuals is disgusting and unacceptable. It cannot be allowed to continue,” he said.
In a separate incident last Wednesday, a 75-year-old woman in Swakopmund’s Kramersdorf neighbourhood was attacked in her home.
Suspects reportedly gained entry early in the morning, strangled the woman, and stole a Samsung Galaxy A35 cellphone, a gold watch, and two gold bangles valued at approximately N$90,000.
No arrests have been made, and the stolen items have not been recovered.
“We cannot say whether the two incidents are linked, but the investigating officers are consulting one another to compare findings,” Shapumba explained.
Shapumba urged senior citizens to take extra precautions, including ensuring homes are securely locked, activating alarms, and keeping police and security contact numbers handy.
He called on friends, family, neighbours, and community groups to remain vigilant and assist in safeguarding vulnerable members of society.
The attacks have left residents of the Erongo Region deeply concerned, with many calling for stronger measures to protect the elderly from such heinous crimes.
The police indicated that they would continue to investigate both cases.
