Community raises N$10 000 to bury homeless South African woman

Some residents of Eros in Windhoek recently collected funds to provide a dignified farewell to a homeless South African woman. Susanna Willemse (67) moved to Namibia in 1989 to seek greener pastures. She died in mid-October, six days after celebrating her 67th birthday, after battling illness.Willemse was well known in the community as hard-working and kind, despite her hardship, says apostle David Kapuka. Kapuka was one of the community members who assisted Willemse, and he officiated her funeral.He says residents supported Willemse where they could by providing food and basic necessities. "She was a homeless mother without an income who survived through our help," Kapuka says. "Sometimes, she would do laundry for us just to put bread on the table." Seeking Help In cases like this, where an individual is homeless and a foreign national, a Namibian doctor, speaking anonymously, explained the procedures typically followed: "If someone passes away at home, the Namibian Police are called, and the body is taken to the nearest mortuary. “There, doctors assess whether the death was natural or unnatural. For a natural death, a death certificate is issued, and the next of kin can proceed with burial arrangements.”The doctor says in cases of an unnatural death, a post-mortem examination is first required. Only after the post-mortem is completed can the body be released to the next of kin. And if the deceased is not Namibian, and no one claims the body, the Namibian authorities can contact the relevant embassy for assistance in locating family members, says the doctor. Kapuka says with Willemse lacking national documents and a stable income, along with limited support from her only employed son, they sought assistance from the Namibian government. With the community's assistance, her 27-year-old son was able to obtain a copy of her full birth certificate from the South African embassy. With this documentation, they were able to secure the death certificate. Subsequently, they received permission for her burial. Kapuka says the One Economy Foundation donated three 3kg bags of macaroni, while the councillor's office contributed maize and a tin of beef. He says many others were unable to assist. "When she passed on 14 October, we approached various offices for help, including the Office of the Former First Lady [Monica Geingos], the One Economy Foundation, the Windhoek councillor's office, and the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare, among others." This prompted the community to step in to raise funds for her funeral. "As friends and neighbours, we managed to collect N$10 000 to cover the costs of the casket, grave and tombstone," he says. On Saturday, 26 October, Kapuka says they gave Willemse a dignified funeral. The community was set to unveil her tombstone on Saturday, 2 November.

Community raises N$10 000 to bury homeless South African woman

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-18

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Community raises N$10 000 to bury homeless South African woman

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-18

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