The sister of murder victim Rachel Simasiku (33) claims the Katima Mulilo police refused Simasiku's repeated plea to open a case against her allegedly abusive boyfriend before she was axed to death.
Katima Mulilo station commander chief inspector Charles Muyumbelo has, however, denied the allegation.
The sister, Anette Simataa, claims the police said Simasiku, who was killed in Choto township at Katima Mulilo on Sunday, should resolve the dispute with her boyfriend privately.
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Simataa and other relatives allege the boyfriend, Steven Naruseb (44), locked Simasiku in a room and hacked her to death.
After hearing her screams, Simataa and other family members called the police, who allegedly said there were no vehicles available to attend to the domestic violence incident.
"But to our surprise, they transported Naruseb to court today," Simataa said yesterday.
She said if the police had allowed her sister to open a case of physical abuse instead of telling her not to involve the police, she would still be alive.
"Even last month, she went there, and she was told if she opened a domestic violence case against him, he would be arrested," she said.
"Justice has failed. My sister should not have been murdered. I know [Naruseb] did it intentionally, because after killing her, he went out and told the people to call the police because he was done," Simataa said.
Naruseb appeared in the Katima Mulilo Magistrate's Court yesterday on charges of murder under the Domestic Violence Act.
He was denied bail.
Naruseb went on the run after the incident, but handed himself over to the police on Tuesday.
Simasiku's family and friends gathered at the court yesterday, calling for justice and for the denial of bail.
Simataa said Naruseb and her sister had been together for more than 10 years and have a daughter.
She said this was not the first time he had been violent towards Simasiku.
Both have a child from previous relationships.
'SHE WAS OUR BREADWINNER'
Simasiku's grandmother, Mildred Mutont, yesterday told The Namibian her granddaughter, whom she had raised since she was a baby, did not deserve to die in such a brutal way.
"I have a huge lump in my heart. I feel like I should go with my granddaughter - she was my breadwinner. Who will I rely on now?"
She said she hopes Naruseb remains in prison for the rest of his life.
His case was postponed to 22 April 2026 for further investigation.
Katima Mulilo station commander chief inspector Charles Muyumbelo says the police responded on time.
However, when they arrived at the scene, it was too late.
"We had cars and the officers went to the scene immediately when they received the call. However, upon arrival, Naruseb was already done killing Simasiku and fled the scene," he says.
"Furthermore, there are no previous cases of domestic violence registered at the police station in relation to the couple," he says.
'Help women in distress'
The incident comes as Namibia is observing 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), with activists calling for swift action to protect victims.
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Anti-GBV activist Riaan Siyama has appealed to community members to be proactive in taking action if they see a woman being abused by her partner.
"I'm sure someone heard Simasiku screaming but didn't help. The community is very reluctant to help people in need."
"This is a call for us as a community not to be bystanders, but whistleblowers on GBV. A life could have been spared if those who were there had broken the door down and entered," he says.
During the launch of the regional campaign last month, deputy commissioner Magdalena Garises revealed that between November 2024 and November 2025, 302 cases of GBV were reported in the Zambezi region.
She said about 60 involved the alleged rape of children.
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