Patience Makwele
The mother of a nine-month-old Namtani Loretta Nuses has described the frantic search for her daughter after the baby allegedly disappeared from their home in Omitara, Omaheke region, in the early hours of Saturday.
Imelda Nuses said she had returned home at about 22:00 on Friday and was sleeping alongside her four-year-old son and baby daughter.
She said she briefly left the house at around 04:00 to get a lighter from a neighbour but returned only minutes later to find that Namtani was no longer in the bed.
A search of the surrounding area followed, with relatives and neighbours looking for the missing baby.
According to Namtani’s uncle, 49-year-old Alfred Nuseb who works as a security guard and had returned from work that morning, the search later took a disturbing turn when he noticed shoe prints inside the house. He said some of the prints had been covered with a bucket.
Nuseb said he followed the footprints outside the house towards a fence along the highway. After crossing the fence and walking for about 30 minutes, the family found the baby in “shrubs,” allegedly with a cloth tied around her mouth and wrapped in thick winter clothing.
Nuseb said the family had attempted to contact the police at about 04:00 but officers had not arrived by the time the search was under way.
He said he eventually walked about three kilometres to find a vehicle to assist them in getting to the police.
The circumstances surrounding the baby’s death are still under investigation.
