Staff Reporter
WHAT is traditionally a season of celebration and renewal was marked by tragedy for several families across Namibia, as police recorded seven suicide cases and one attempted suicide over the New Year weekend. The incidents, reported in the Oshikoto, Hardap, Khomas, Erongo and Otjozondjupa regions, are being investigated, with police indicating that no foul play is suspected in any of the cases.
According to the weekend crime report, police are investigating an attempted suicide case in Usakos. A 27-year-old woman sustained second-degree burn wounds after she allegedly set herself alight following an argument with her boyfriend on Thursday afternoon. The victim was rushed to Usakos State Hospital, where she is admitted in a stable condition. Police suspect she may have used spirit to burn herself.
In Tsintsabis, Oshikoto Region, the body of a 25-year-old Namibian man, Ndamona Naib, was discovered on Wednesday morning after he allegedly died by suicide. His body was found hanging from a tree near his place of residence. According to police, the deceased left his sleeping room at about 05:00 and did not return. A suicide note was later discovered in his bedroom by his younger brother, while community members found his body in nearby bushes. His next of kin were informed.
Another suicide was reported in Rehoboth on Thursday morning, where the body of 44-year-old Wilbur Eberenz was discovered hanging in a garage at a house in Block G. The deceased was found by his girlfriend with an electric cable around his neck. He was declared dead by a doctor at St Mary’s Hospital. Police said the deceased had previously attempted suicide, but no suicide note was found and no foul play is suspected.
In Windhoek’s Wanaheda area, the decomposed body of a 30-year-old man, John Mandume Hamunyela, was discovered hanging in the bathroom of a house in Okakarara Street, Havana, on Wednesday. According to the deceased’s brother, he was last seen on the morning of 29 December 2025. No suicide note was found, and police said no foul play is suspected.
Two suicide cases were also reported in Omaruru. On Thursday, the body of 37-year-old Macdonald Musabani was found hanging from a tree near the river behind SI Gobs Secondary School by a passerby. He was declared dead at Omaruru State Hospital. Police said he had left his house earlier that morning, and no suicide note was found. In a separate incident on Saturday, a 32-year-old Namibian male employed at the Omaruru Namibia Correctional Facility allegedly shot himself with a service pistol while on duty. He was found with a gunshot wound to the forehead and declared dead at the scene. Police said the deceased had reported for duty normally and booked out a service pistol earlier that day. Investigations continue, and no foul play is suspected.
In the Onayena area of Oshikoto Region, the body of a 60-year-old woman, Kauluma Victoria, was found hanging under a tree in a mahangu field yard at Iikokola village in the early hours of Saturday. She was discovered by a family member, and no suicide note was found.
Another suicide was reported at Ekonghola village near Oshivelo on Saturday afternoon. The body of 32-year-old Ngweda Eunike Ndeshihafela was discovered in the bushes after family members followed her shoe tracks from the house. Police suspect she may have died by hanging using a rope made from tree bark, which is believed to have broken, and no suicide note was found.
Individuals experiencing mental distress, including self-harm thoughts, are encouraged to seek help. Free and confidential support is available by contacting 116 or 106, a primary crisis hotline that operates 24/7.
All cases are being investigated as inquests, and police have reiterated that no foul play is suspected at this stage.
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