OSHAKATI – An elderly village headman and four children died in separate drownings last week.

It is alleged that the headman of Oshandumbala village of Otamanzi Constituency, Kefas Kanyungule, died last week after he fell into and drowned in a well near his homestead.

Kanyungule’s body was discovered the day after he went missing from his home. He allegedly left home minutes after he returned from collecting his pension payout but he never returned.

Family members suspected that Kanyungule must have drowned when they discovered his water container floating on top of the well the following morning.

They then called the police who found his body in the well.

It is suspected that Kanyungule went to draw water and must have slipped and fell into the well where he died.
In another incident, two children aged two and three year died last week when they drowned in a pond at Uuholondema village in Okalongo Constituency.

The children, identified as Faustinus Johannes (2) and Kaponya Altinus (3), were in the company of their uncle who was working on a fence when they told him that they were thirsty and wanted to go back home.
It seems that instead of going home, the children went to a nearby water pond where they attempted to drink from the pond.
They were discovered by their uncle minutes later – both dead.

A two-year-old baby girl from Okahavi village in Outapi Constituency also died after she drowned in a bucket of water.
It is alleged that the parents of the girl identified as Ndinaomwena Nefungo (2), allegedly left her at home with another child aged four when they went to some cuca-shops.

The children then left the homestead and went to the neighbours’ house.
The girls’ parents only returned after 23h00 and then discovered the children were not at home.

Later the parents found the four-year-old sleeping with other children in the house but the two-year-old dead in a bucket of water in the same room.

Another child, identified as four-year-old Saratiel Johannes from Eembwa village in Okahao Constituency, died on Saturday after he also drowned in a pond.

The boy was playing with his friend, who is also the same age, from a neighbour’s house when he drowned.
What led to the drowning is not known as the surviving boy could not tell what happened as he was in shock.
Hesekiel Hamalwa of Omusati Regional Police’s Public Relations Department confirmed all the incidents.