Staff Reporter
ALL seasonally inundated depressions (iishana) are currently full of water following good rains over the past days, posing a serious risk of drowning, mostly to children and pedestrians who travel in rural areas after dusk. The Namibian police in the Omusati Region are warning parents, guardians, teachers, and members of the public in general to be extra cautious and to constantly keep an eye on children, not to leave them alone near water ponds, and to accompany and assist them when they cross water streams to and from school.
The warning comes after yet another incident of drowning was reported to the police at Onesi. The incident occurred in the Olwaadhiya village at 19:00 on Thursday.
It is alleged that the deceased, a four-year-old boy named Shilukuwo Kamati, was left in the house with two siblings aged two and five when their mother went to work in the mahangu field. According to the police, the mother instructed the children to fetch water from a nearby pond while she was working in the field. However, when the children returned, she noticed that one was absent. She rushed to the water pond and found Shilukuwo’s lifeless body lying in the shallow water.
The mother and the children are Angolans who migrated to Namibia due to the severe drought that affected their areas. Some are now employed on a semi-permanent basis as labourers in the fields or as domestic workers.
Police community affairs officer Anna Kunga says the risk of drowning is greater for those who are new in the area as they do not yet know how deep some water ponds or streams are. Inspector Kunga advises parents, guardians, and teachers to ensure that children are safe at home and on their way to and from school.
“Traveling at night, crossing iishana, equally poses a danger of drowning and should be avoided by all,” said Kunga.
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