OKATOPE: A 27-year-old Angolan man allegedly injured his 26-year-old ex-girlfriend and killed her three-month-old baby boy by stabbing them with a kitchen knife at Ontunda village in the Oshikoto Region on Thursday.

According to a Namibian Police Force crime update, it is alleged that the suspect was with his ex-girlfriend escorting her to the house of her current boyfriend and father of the deceased baby.

‘The suspect and the ex-girlfriend have two children, so the suspect was allegedly not happy that the victim is now having a Namibian boyfriend after their relationship ended,’ reported the police.

According to the report, while on their way the suspect and his ex-girlfriend got into a fight and he allegedly stabbed both the ex-girlfriend and her baby boy with the knife.

‘The boy died instantly, and the mother sustained serious injuries and was taken to Omuthiya State Hospital in transit to Onandjokwe State Hospital for further medical attention,’ the police said.

The deceased’s remains were taken to t
he Omuthiya police mortuary for a post-mortem.

The next of kin were not yet informed. The suspect was arrested and the investigation continues.

Source: Namibia Press Agency

Water and Sanitation Minister, Senzo Mchunu, will next week meet with various stakeholders in the water sector to hear their inputs on the water resource development projects in the Mfolozi catchment area in northern KwaZulu-Natal.

Apart from Pongola and Mkuze Rivers in KwaZulu-Natal, the Mfolozi River Catchment is one of the rivers that supplies water to uMkhanyakude and Zululand District Municipalities.

The department said 75% of allocated water from Mfolozi River is used for domestic use, afforestation, and irrigation.

However, the department said the growing population in the two districts has resulted in increased water demands for household consumption and from other sectors like forestry and agriculture.

‘The Department of Water and Sanitation, together with its sector partners, has developed a water resource reconciliation strategy for Mfolozi catchment, which consists of surface water resource development projects, including the raising of Klipfontien Dam, construction of Usuthu Dam and the deve
lopment of a dam in lower Mfolozi,’ the department said.

Mchunu and Deputy Ministers, David Mahlobo and Judith Tshabalala, together with Umkhanyakude District Municipality Mayor, Siphile Mdaka, will on Tuesday meet with different stakeholders, including Mtubatuba traditional leaders, to get their inputs on the development and implementation of the water resource reconciliation strategy for Mfolozi catchment.

The meeting will be held at KwaMshaya in Mtubatuba.

Update on Phoenix and Tongaat water supply challenges

Meanwhile, Mchunu will over the weekend hold a meeting with residents from Verulam, Phoenix and Tongaat to provide updates on measures aimed at resolving water supply challenges within the three areas.

The meeting follows water supply challenges in areas under eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, particularly Verulam, Phoenix and Tongaat, north of Durban.

In a detailed joint statement issued on 26 January 2024, the Department of Water and Sanitation, including the City of eThekwini, and uMngeni-
uThukela Water, outlined current and future measures to be implemented to address the continuous water supply challenges, which continue to plague the city, exacerbated by adverse weather conditions, such as heavy rains.

During the meeting to be held on Sunday, Mchunu, together with eThekwini Executive Mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda, will address the residents, and provide a progress report on measures to restore water supply.

Source: South African Government News Agency