Police call for calm in Okahandja murders
Warn against misinformation
Eleven people are being questioned by the Namibian police in connection with the three separate cases.
As public concern mounts and speculation grows around the brutal rape and murder of three young girls in Okahandja, Otjozondjupa Region Police Commissioner Philip Hidengwa said suspects are still being questioned and leads are being followed up.The murders of Ingrid Maasdorp (5), Roslin Fabian (6) and Beyoncé !Kharuchas (15) have shocked the nation and caused a wave of concern. With 11 people being questioned in connection with the three separate cases, many are seeking answers and responses are often contradictory.
Hidengwa urged the public and the media to avoid spreading unverified information. He expressed his frustration with the situation and concern about how information was being handled and reported.
“When it was reported, it was said that the same three people were involved in one specific case,” he explained. “But if you start breaking it down into three here, two there, it creates confusion. People start making comparisons and assumptions.”
Transparency
Hidengwa stressed that while transparency remains important, the current flow of information is doing more harm than good.
“Most of the information we give to the media actually creates more problems within society and among residents,” he said.
“You tell one person something, they distort the information and then people start making comparisons.”
The commissioner highlighted the danger of misinformation, adding that suspects are still being questioned and leads are being followed up.
“You may not always have the right suspect,” he warned.
From now on, Hidengwa made it clear that updates will only be channelled through official internal platforms.
“We will only provide updates to the commissioners and the leadership team.”
He stressed that any information required should be obtained from the Namibian Police’s chief spokesperson, adj. comm. Kauna Shikwambi.
Patience
He also appealed to the public to be patient. “I don’t think it’s fair. These families have lost loved ones. Every time they see conflicting reports in the news, they feel like nothing is being done,” said Hidengwa.
“It undermines the public’s trust in the police.”
Hidengwa concluded by calling for accurate reporting and a renewed focus on the integrity of investigations.
“We need to investigate properly. I don’t know where people are getting this information from. We don’t have enough qualified investigators and it’s damaging to our country’s image.
“It paints a picture that the Namibian police cannot handle serious investigations. And that’s simply not true.”
Meanwhile, Shikwambi confirmed last Thursday that another case of attempted kidnapping is being investigated after a schoolgirl from Moses Garoeb Primary School in Windhoek was allegedly almost kidnapped by two men on her way to school. - [email protected]