Toddler drowns in water bucket
A 12-month-old toddler drowned in a bucket of water while her mother was allegedly taking a bath on Friday afternoon at Omaambo village in the Elim constituency of Omusati.
She drowned in a 25-litre bucket where the family allegedly wash dishes.
According to the police regional commander in Omusati, Commissioner Titus Shikongo, the victim was allegedly left playing with other children in the house.
“Exact circumstances leading to the drowning are not clear, as the incident was only discovered by the mother after bathing when she was told by the other kids that they don’t know where the deceased was, prompting her to start searching for her,” said Shikongo.
The victim has been identified as Fransina Iita.
Her body has been taken to the Okahao police mortuary for a post-mortem.
Investigation into the matter continues.
Still in Omusati, a 28-yearold man committed suicide by hanging himself in his room at
Oshikushomunkete village in Oshikuku constituency.
According to the police commander, the incident happened on Friday morning.
It is alleged the victim was last seen in the company of his brother on Thursday afternoon at Kandundu location.
“Only to be found with a tow strap in the ceiling of his sleeping room on Friday,” said Shikongo.
No suicide note was found at the scene, and his body has been taken to Okahao police mortuary for a post-mortem.
THE Khomas Regional Council last week held a progress review and planning workshop where councillors and technocrats heading various departments looked at the progress made and impact of development initiatives that were planned and implemented during the last five years.
The budget for the new financial year and discussions around performance agreements of the regional council as well as the decentralised functions were also high on the agenda.
The process of decentralisation has benefited and continues to empower the regional councils and local authorities in a way that it broadened democracy, and ensuring a greater equity in attending to a needy population.
Decentralisation ensures economic, cultural and socioeconomic development, as it provides people at the grassroots level the opportunity to participate in their own decision-making
and extend democracy as a right based on national ideals and values. According to the Khomas
chief regional officer Clement Mafwila, the workshop served as an orientation and induction
of the new councillors. Mafwila urged the new council to be more aggressive than the older group in order to curb regional challenges. “You have a social agreement with the community; therefore, you are answerable to the community when it comes to housing, health and education provision to bring about a positive impact within your community.”
Windhoek West constituency councillor Emma Tangi Muteka said the workshop provides a roadmap for them as councillors in the execution of their duties as expected by the electorates. On the other hand, Windhoek East’s councillor Brian Black says in order to plan for the future, one need to take stock.
“The growth of Khomas region is important to us, but in order to plan for our people and to serve them we need to have a clear picture of where we are coming from, where we are and where we are going.”
Black stressed that as the number of inhabitants in Windhoek increases, this push for decent living standard, decent housing and toilets. Speaking at the same event, governor Laura McLeod-Katjirua encouraged mutual respect and smooth cooperation between the councillors and their respective support staff to ensure efficient and effective service delivery to the Namibian nation.
McLeod stressed the workshop came at the right time as the new councillors have recently joined the regional leadership. She pondered the need of working together, mutual communication and understanding between the constituency Councillors and the administrative staff.
Cooperation, coordination should be of utmost importance when carrying out the council duties at all time to make sure we provide fast and efficient service to the nation, she said. “Customer service is essential, and the public should be assisted efficiently in public offices instead of being sent around by the public servants,” said McLeod-Katjirua.
“Must I now go to school stinking?” This is a question Eldorado High School grade 8 learner Tangeni Ndondi continuously asks her unemployed mother, who, at the same time, is struggling to support herself and family. New Era previously reported on the plight of 36-year-old Saima
Shivandu, who, at the time, had managed to open a small tuck shop at home. However, due to financial constraints and the inability to regularly buy stock, her only source of income folded.
This realisation made the beginning of this year more difficult for her and her children.
Shivandu, unable to afford Tangeni’s new school uniform, turned to her neighbours, who were able to donate two shirts and pants.
She used Tangeni’s grant money of N$250 to purchase basic schoolbooks and stationery, while other good Samaritans donated book covers. She then made the difficult decision to have her threeyear-old daughter remain in the northern part of the country – just so she has one less mouth to feed they barely have food in the house.
Shivandu currently sells boiled eggs to make ends meet, but says she only makes a total sale of N$36 from it on a good business day. From that amount, N$20 is used for her son’s transport to and from school. However, when
there are no sales made from the egg business, her son is forced to skip school.
Even with his grant, the family is left with very little for transport, meaning they negotiate with taxi drivers for Tangeni to pay N$10 from Eehambo dhaNehale in the remote side of Hakakana area to Eldorado High School in Khomasdal.
Shivandu believes her neighbours are God-sent, saying if it were not for them, her son would go to bed hungry every night.
“I am afraid him being out of school will hinder his progress,” said Shivandu.
“But what can I do? I am struggling. If he could get into the hostel, maybe that could help, but that is another cost.”
She stops her train of thought when she realises the hostel would create another challenge – the inability to consistently afford cosmetics and other basics. This would probably make things even more difficult for her son.
When New Era arrived at their home last week, the family had not had a proper meal for days.
The family is not part of the beneficiaries who receive food through the food bank initiative. Staring blankly into nothing, she remembers that a fee of N$900 still needs to be paid to the school.
She says she hopes to ask from family members – and if that does not work, she would not know where to start. The school requires a black school bag, but Tangeni currently uses one he has been having since primary school, which is not black.
Shivandu is deeply worried that her inability to provide for her family is affecting her children’s mental health.
“My son is a good boy, but I am afraid of what can happen,” she added as she explained how he does his homework during the day so he doesn’t struggle at night with a candle.