Africa-Press – Namibia. GOVERNMENT is still determined to find a way to assist an undocumented elderly resident of the Okapundjona village in the Engela Constituency of the Ohangwena Region despite the fact that the first attempt ended in failure.
Home Affairs officials who visited the traditional homestead of Elia Nghilotokelwa Hambili recently had to literally run away after the elderly Hambili threatened them with a traditional knife.
The officials travelled to the Okapundjona village after Informante revealed Hambili’s current status.
His exact age could not be established, but he must be old enough judging by the fact that his younger siblings are pensioners.
He does not enjoy the benefits that are enjoyed by other citizens of his age group because he has no national documents such as a birth certificate and ID card. And the reason for that is allegedly that he resists and rejects anything related to “office.”
Engela constituency councillor Erkan Hainghumbi, who accompanied the Home Affairs officials, said that Hambili initially welcomed the government delegation, but turned violent moments later, grabbed a traditional knife and threatened the visitors who had to leave in haste.
“He chased us away, but we won’t give up on him. We will return to him better prepared and will approach him differently,” said Hainghumbi.
Informanté had the same experience during an attempt to interview Hambili earlier this month. The interview had barely started when he changed his initial welcoming mood and turned violent. In fact, he grabbed a knife and a hammer to attack the interviewer but was promptly stopped in his tracks by a relative who was standing nearby.
He is not a mental health patient and otherwise leads a normal life, having his own traditional homestead where he lives with a number of relatives but no wife. It is alleged that he was never interested in having a wife. The family tried to help him obtain documents and register for old age pension, to no avail as he turns violent as soon as officials start asking him questions.
His ‘strange’ behaviour allegedly dates back to the war years when he was brutalized by the security forces.
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