Erasmus Shalihaxwe
Tragedy struck in the Luliba village, Mpacha area of Katima Mulilo, as a 14-year-old boy, Yamuno Mulatehi, lost his life in a hand grenade explosion that occurred between 17:00 and 18:00.
According to the crime report released over the weekend and conveyed by Namibian Police Force national spokesperson Kauna Shikwambi, the fatal incident occurred on Friday when the deceased’s 35-year-old father brought a hand grenade home from the bush and began striking it with an axe. The police investigation revealed that the father had collected the explosive device and other spent cartridges from the Mpacha and Liselo areas.
Upon arriving at his homestead, he proceeded to strike the hand grenade with the head of a traditional axe.
Tragically, during this process, the grenade detonated, resulting in severe injuries to the father and his two children, aged 4 and 9, as well as the tragic death of his 14-year-old son.
According to the report, the father was in the company of his three children when the grenade exploded.
The injured father and his two children were initially rushed to Katima Mulilo State Hospital and later transferred to Windhoek on Saturday due to their critical condition.
Meanwhile, the body of the deceased was taken to the Katima Mulilo State Hospital mortuary as the police will continue their investigations into the incident.
In a separate incident, a 31-year-old man was arrested in Rehoboth on Saturday following allegations of kidnapping and rape involving two teenage girls, aged 15 and 17. The alleged incident occurred at around 4:00 AM in the riverbed between Block A and Block F.
According to the report, the victims and three other friends had attended a prayer session on a mountain behind Block D. On their way back home, they encountered three men standing in front of the Pick More supermarket.
One of the men brandished a knife, held the victims at knifepoint, and forced them to walk to the riverbed, where he sexually assaulted them.
Police have launched an investigation into the case.
Law enforcement authorities also reported the arrest of a 16-year-old girl in Westerkim, Karasburg, on charges related to drug dealing and the production of illegal substances.
During a house search, the teenager was found in possession of 10 full mandrax tablets, 44 half mandrax tablets, 42 quarter mandrax tablets, a substantial quantity of cannabis, and 46 small packages of cannabis.
The total value of the confiscated drugs has yet to be determined.
The suspect was charged and subsequently released under parental guardianship, following consultations with the Public Prosecutor.
