Patience Makwele An appeal made during the Vice President Lucia Witbooi’s visit to the Omaheke region earlier this year has changed the life of an eight-year-old girl after members of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) donated a wheelchair that will allow her to attend school next year. Unondjamo Stoffart, who lives with a mobility disability at the Children’s Sanctuary in Drimiopsis, received the wheelchair from members of the NDF’s 126 Motorised Infantry Battalion following a plea made by the sanctuary’s centre manager during the Vice President’s official visit to the Kalahari Constituency in January. The donation was made voluntarily by members of the battalion after learning about the child’s need for mobility support. Speaking at the handover ceremony, General Officer Commanding of the 12 Motorised Infantry Brigade, Brigadier General Nathanael Endjala, said the occasion was about more than handing over a wheelchair. He said it reflected the soldiers’ commitment to serving communities beyond their military duties through compassion, unity and a shared responsibility to support those in need. Commanding Officer of the 126 Motorised Infantry Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Appollos Ngaamwa, said even small acts of kindness can have a lasting impact on vulnerable children. “Let this occasion remind us all that even a small act of kindness can transform someone’s life. Let us continue working together to uplift vulnerable girls and boys in our society and ensure that no child is left behind,” he said. Omaheke Governor Pijoo Nganate commended the battalion for its continued commitment to community development, saying the wheelchair donation was another example of its support for vulnerable communities in the region. He noted that the battalion had previously renovated facilities at Khoandawes Primary School and Gobabis Project School, as well as participated in neighbourhood clean-up campaigns. The children’s sanctuary manager Belinda Tsuses expressed gratitude for the donation, saying it would restore the young girl’s dignity and independence while significantly improving her mobility.

Staff Reporter AN eight-year-old girl from the Omaheke Region who lives with a mobility disability has received a wheelchair donated by members of the Namibian Defence Force’s (NDF) 126 Motorised Infantry Battalion, following an appeal made during the Vice President’s visit to the region earlier this year. The wheelchair was presented to Unondjamo Stoffart, a resident of the Children’s Sanctuary in Drimiopsis, after the centre’s manager raised her need for mobility support during the Vice President’s official visit to the Kalahari Constituency in January 2026. Speaking at the handover ceremony, General Officer Commanding of the 12 Motorised Infantry Brigade, Nathanael Endjala, said the occasion was about more than donating a wheelchair. --- Photos: MICT Omaheke --- He said it reaffirmed the commitment of NDF members to serve and support the communities they are sworn to protect while demonstrating compassion, unity and responsibility. Commanding Officer of the 126 Motorised Infantry Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Appollos Ngaamwa, said the donation highlighted the impact that acts of kindness can have on vulnerable members of society. “Let this occasion remind us all that even a small act of kindness can transform someone’s life. Let us continue working together to uplift vulnerable girls and boys in our society and ensure that no child is left behind,” Ngaamwa said. Omaheke Regional Governor Pijoo Nganate commended the battalion for its continued community outreach, adding that the donation was another example of its longstanding support for communities in the region. He said members of the battalion had previously undertaken renovation projects at Khoandawes Primary School and Gobabis Project School, as well as neighbourhood clean-up campaigns. Manager of the Children’s Sanctuary, Belinda Tsuses, thanked the NDF for the donation, saying the wheelchair would restore the young girl’s dignity and significantly improve her mobility. Unondjamo is expected to begin her education at Drimiopsis Primary School next year. The post Wheelchair donation gives Omaheke girl new mobility ahead of school appeared first on Informanté.

The Kalahari Constituency Councillor, Zed Katjiuanjo, said sanitation, water provision and income-generating projects will be his prime focus this year. He said he is committed to bettering the living standards of Kalahari constituency residents and that of the entire Omaheke Region. Speaking at Drimiopsis, Katjiuanjo stressed that water provision needs serious attention and plans are underway to ensure that additional boreholes are drilled to set up community. "We have drilled two boreholes here at Drimiopsis, which have cubic metres of 36 and 18, and we say Drimiopsis will not face any water problems anymore, and as we say the water is enough, we will also make sure that the community garden we have gets underway and we start doing the work so that people can have food. Also, we want to bring projects like chicken projects and sewing projects, so we are looking forward to bringing more projects in this vicinity of drimiopsis." Katjiuanjo said that new toilets are being constructed at Drimiopsis that will be connected to sewer reticulation systems and move away from the old bucket toilet system. He pleaded with the residents to engage with their local development committee in their areas, as this will assist with better planning at constituency level. Katjiuanjo also invited residents to engage his office regarding income-generating projects.

Vice President Lucia Witbooi continued her official visit in the Omaheke Region, stopping at Drimiopsis and Otjinene, where she met with learners, community members and marginalised groups. In Drimiopsis, Witbooi visited Children Sanctuary Namibia, an orphanage started in 2013 and currently home to 20 children. She commended the volunteers at the facility for their continued commitment to caring for vulnerable children. "One thing that stands out and is very important and clear is volunteering. Nowadays, people just want; if you say sweep here, then you have to pay, then you have to give something. But still we have people that are volunteering. A very kind gesture, and in that, when you do it with love, when you do it with peace, there is a blessing. There must be a blessing if you are volunteering for years and years. I don't say stay in the volunteerism. But if you do things with a whole heart and love and peace, then I believe. There is a blessing." She later addressed learners at Mokganedi Tlhabanello High School, encouraging them not to let their backgrounds limit their future. The Vice President urged the learners to stay focused on their goals, despite the challenges they face. "My dear learners, you must never allow your background to define your limits. You are capable, like any other children. You deserve opportunities, whether you aspire to your teacher, to be a doctor, leaders or innovators, your dreams are valid and your contribution to Namibia is needed.I pledge N$5000 for the school, and you will see where the need is and put it there." At Otjinene, Witbooi visited the San Garden at !Guidom Village, an initiative started in 2007 by Chief !Tio Frans to address food insecurity in the community. Chief Frans raised concerns over water shortages, saying the garden is outside the village council boundary, limiting access to services such as water to sustain the garden. He also highlighted the urgent need for housing for his people. Witbooi acknowledged the concerns. "My priority is decent housing. Of course, it will not happen in a year, but we can identify a place area and have a plan. But that is something I want to leave as a legacy." The Vice President also held engagement sessions with community members in both Drimiopsis and Otjinene, where she listened to their concerns. #NBCNews #nbcdigitalnews #nbcDSTV282 #nbcGOtv20 #nbcPlusApp

VP Witbooi continues Omaheke visit in Drimiopsis and Otjinene NBC Online Wed, 01/28/2026 - 18:43

Youth in Drimiopsis are appealing to the government to ensure local communities, including the San, benefit from nearby resettlement farms. Young people in Drimiopsis are calling on the government to address concerns over resettlement farms, saying the farms have not benefited the community, leaving many young people and the San community feeling excluded from opportunities. They are calling on the government to acknowledge and include the community in development and resettlement plans. They hope their concerns reach the highest offices so that action can be taken to address their needs.

Unemployment remains a major challenge in Drimiopsis, with youth calling for assistance, even in the form of community projects, to help them earn a living. Many young people in Drimiopsis say unemployment remains one of their biggest challenges. Despite them having completed school and some TVET, they say that they have spent years searching for work without success, leaving them frustrated and in need of opportunities that can help them move forward. "I finished my grade 10; after finishing my grade 10, I have been struggling to get a job." I have been applying for government jobs, but nothing, and it has been 10 years now," expressed Deon Kous.  The youth say the struggle goes beyond finding jobs, as even the process of applying requires money they often do not have. Some say they rely on support from their grandparents just to prepare CVs and continue searching for work. "Every time we get money from our grandparents in order to make CVs and apply again. It is a struggle for us here in Drimiopsis." They say unemployment is not only affecting individuals but the entire community. Without jobs, young people are unable to support their families or help others in need, worsening the poverty in Drimiopsis. Willem Kleinbooi adds, "If people here are given jobs, they can help other people who are struggling. The poverty is just increasing because people from here don't have jobs, good jobs to help the other people and the ones with papers." Access to information remains a serious challenge in the area. They feel left out when it comes to job opportunities. "There's no information coming to you, no notice, but where you can get anything, nothing at all, so it's a big struggle for us, so information comes last to us. We haven't had anyone that gave this information to us before. At least someone that stands for us as a youth leader that at least helps us with this, a job opportunity; the person comes and tells us that they know how to prepare themselves, or the person brings us application forms and gives them to us. There is not that kind of person." Young people in Drimiopsis say they are not only asking for jobs but are also open to community projects that can help them earn an income and stay productive. Some youth say efforts to start community projects have already been made, but a lack of continued funding has caused these initiatives to stall before they could fully take off. "We started a project, funded by social security. We started with the project by building the building and fencing it. After the training we got stuck; there were no more funds." They are appealing directly to the government and other stakeholders for support to revive their stalled project. "We are looking for help; we are asking the government to help, even with a car to get the clay for our pots or money for the project."

Drimiopsis youth lament persistent unemployment challenges NBC Online Sun, 01/25/2026 - 18:51

Women from Drimiopsis take up supporting orphans and vulnerable children NBC Online Sat, 01/24/2026 - 18:13

Four women, moved by the plight of orphans and vulnerable children have taken up the vocation to support needy children in their area. Children Sanctuary Namibia, a shelter founded by Helger Mecker, Ida Kambases, Matengu Theresa, and Magdalena Goeieman Antika, is located in Drimiopsis in the Omaheke Region. Ida Kambase, one of the founders who has a great heart for her community in Drimiopsis, says it all started with simple conversations with the other members who started Children Sanctuary Namibia about the struggles many children were facing.  Seeing orphans and abandoned children going hungry moved them to act, starting in a small way by coming together to make sure the children had at least one meal a day. "We met in 2013 and discussed the challenges faced by children, especially orphans, children whose parents passed away, and those abandoned by their parents. Because of this, I suggested that we start by cooking pap and soup, gather the children, and feed them. Even if we had little, at least the children would not go hungry or sleep without food," related Kambase. Theresa Matengu describes Children Sanctuary Namibia as a safe place where vulnerable children are cared for, supported, and shown love by dedicated caregivers.  "So this is children sanctuary it is a child facility. Where kids are kept who need help and care, where they experience that love, by the caregivers." Kambase added that the sanctuary supports children from different backgrounds, helping them access education and prepare for a better future. "We also have children with disabilities, and the children attend school from here. This is the second intake, as the first group has grown up and started their own lives. These are the new children now." Despite the impact the sanctuary has made over the years, Matengu says financial challenges remain one of their biggest, limiting them to expand and properly accommodate the children in their care. "There's a lot going on here the problem is the lack of funds for the institution to grow from where it is currently we are housing about 16 kids in this building we are sitting here is just supposed to be an office, but we house them here as we went outside there, you could see another building, which is not complete, so we are appealing for help. LINKAny assistance from anyone who can help us to complete the building, also to assist the kids in any way."

An Omaheke region resident accused of kidnapping, raping and murdering a woman nearly five years ago was found guilty on six criminal charges in the Windhoek High Court yesterday. Judge Naomi Shivute convicted Abel Mokalabatho (29) on a charge of murder, three counts of rape, a charge of kidnapping and a count of attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice, after finding that versions of events that he gave to police officers and two magistrates after his arrest in August 2020 were the truth. The judge also found that evidence given by state witnesses during Mokalabatho’s trial was more credible than the version he gave to the court during his trial. He denied guilt on the murder, rape and kidnapping charges, but pleaded guilty to the count of defeating or obstructing the course of justice when his trial began in June 2023. Mokalabatho was accused of kidnapping, raping and murdering a 27-year-old woman, Anna Geinamses, at Drimiopsis in the Gobabis district on 1 to 2 August 2020. The state alleged that he raped Geinamses at a shebeen at Drimiopsis during the evening of 1 August 2020, kidnapped her from that scene, took her to his bedroom, again raped her twice, and killed her the next morning by stabbing her in the neck and fastening a piece of wire around her neck. In a plea explanation at the start of his trial, Mokalabatho said he and Geinamses were starting a relationship before her death. He said she went to his bedroom voluntarily, and claimed Geinamses stabbed herself in the neck with a knife during a quarrel that was sparked when he received a phone call from an ex-girlfriend. Mokalabatho also said he panicked after Geinamses had died, and he then decided to place her body in a drain on the premises where he stayed. He further admitted that he told police officers investigating the disappearance of Geinamses that she had gone to a farm with an unknown man. Geinamses was missing for about two and a half weeks before her body was found in the drain where Mokalabatho had dumped it. After being arrested, Mokalabatho made a confession to a magistrate at Gobabis, admitted guilt during an appearance in the Gobabis Magistrate’s Court and pointed out scenes connected to his alleged crimes to the police, Shivute recounted in her judgement. In his confession, Mokalabatho said he had intercourse with Geinamses after he had followed her into a toilet, where he twisted her arm and forced himself on her. After that, he forced Geinamses to go with him to his room, where he again had intercourse with her, he told the magistrate who recorded his confession. When Geinamses threatened to report the events to her mother the next morning, Mokalabatho first stabbed her with a knife and then fetched a piece of wire, which he fastened around her neck, he told the magistrate. He also recalled that he dumped Geinamses’ body in a drain at his mother’s house. During his trial, Mokalabatho claimed that Geinamses killed herself by stabbing herself. He also said he tied a piece of wire around her neck in an attempt to make her death look like suicide, before he placed her body in a drain. His testimony was not credible, though, Shivute found. Mokalabatho, who is being held in custody, has to return to court on 4 July for a presentence hearing. He is being represented by defence lawyer Mbanga Siyomunji. State advocate Ethel Ndlovu is prosecuting. The post Omaheke man guilty of kidnapping, raping and killing woman in brutal 2020 Drimiopsis case appeared first on The Namibian.