Lunch date turns violent

Lunch date turns violent TUYEIMO HAIDULA

… Teacher allegedly stabs colleague





OSHAKATI

A teacher from Limbadungila Combined School in the Ohakafiya circuit, Ohangwena Region, has been accused of allegedly stabbing a colleague she offered to take out for lunch.

Ohangwena police spokesperson sergeant Andrew Nghiyolwa confirmed the incident to Namibian Sun on Monday, but said the cause of the attack is not yet known as they have yet to interview the victim, 24-year-old Ndapewa Indongo.

Namibian Sun has learnt that the suspect – 27-year-old Fransina Mwetufa - appeared in the Eenhana Magistrate’s Court yesterday, and her case was postponed to a yet-to-be-announced date. She is remanded in police custody.

According to Indongo, the school management on Friday discovered that Mwetufa had stolen N$6 500 from the principal’s account and she was alerted that the school would open a disciplinary case against her.

Indongo said Mwetufa then invited her for lunch so they could talk about the suspect’s financial problems. While in Eenhana, the suspect told Indongo that she wanted pick up her cousin so they could both offer her advice.

“On our way, she told me her financial woes. We continued driving to the so-called cousin’s place and she got stuck in the sand and I had to drive to get the car out of the sand. After I managed, she insisted I continue driving, saying she was not herself.

The two colleagues got lost and drove back to the main road, from where they took a different route.

‘Close the windows’

Indongo said Mwetufa then asked to go and pee and asked her to unzip her dress, which she did.

“She came back in the car and told me to close the windows. I thought she wanted air con, so I did. She closed her door and started saying she will kill me and kill herself. She jumped at my throat and strangled me. She grabbed a knife and I fought back.

“She was holding my nose and kept saying I must leave the knife. I became unconscious when she stabbed me in my neck. She probably thought I was dead and let go of me. I managed to open the door,” Indongo narrated via a telephonic interview.

She said Mwetufa followed her and instructed her to get in the boot.

“I refused to get in the boot but instead got back in the car. This time I kept all windows open while drinking juice from my groceries to get energy. When we got to the main road, I jumped out of her car when I saw cars passing by and I went in the road and started waving.

When a woman stopped to help her, Indongo told her Mwetufa was trying to kill her.

During this time, the suspect drove her car into a tree, Indongo said. Police found her at the scene.

Recovering

Indongo is currently recovering at a private hospital in Ondangwa and survived with cuts to her lower lip, right eye, forehead and right thumb, which doctors said to will have to be operated on on Wednesday as it cannot function properly any more.

Details of the stolen money could not be confirmed as the Ohakafiya inspector of education, Beauty Joel, referred Namibian Sun to Ohangwena education director Isak Hamatwi, whose phone was not reachable.

- tuyeimo@namibiansun.com