The six people brutally killed by their teenage relative on 5 April were buried at Usakos.
The bereaved family received a dignified send-off from the Usakos community and many other Namibians.
The victims are 95-year-old pensioner Elisabeth !Naruses, her 17-year-old granddaughter, Fenny !Naruses and her great-grandchildren, Ibraher !Naruses, Raunisha Boer, who were both 6 years of age, as well as three-year-old Rachel Boer and Emilie !Naruses.
Police say they were beaten, butchered and set alight by a relative in their home at Hakhaseb township.
Although it was a bitter pill to swallow, the bereaved family remembered and celebrated the lives of the departed, especially pensioner !Naruses.
Described as a matriarch, caregiver and a woman who opened her arms to the orphaned and the elderly !Naruses was a pillar of faith, strength and love for her family.
Karl-Edward !Naruseb, son of the late !Naruses, described his mother as a wonderful person whose love for her grandchildren was incomparable. He said they held a special place in her heart and that her dream was to care for them until the end of her life. He added that she was never involved in a fight and always set a good example for the family, often saying, "My children, you must hold each other's hands."
Family member Ewalda Ligongo recalled !Naruses as a smart and slim woman who was quick to take initiative during family matters. She said Elisabeth would humble herself and take the entire !Naruseb family under her care.
A representative from Usakos Junior Secondary School spoke about Finney, !Naruses' granddaughter, who took on the responsibility of caring for her grandmother at the young age of 16 or 17. Finney never wanted to be separated from her grandmother and even refused to go to the hostel to remain by her side. The representative noted that Finney pleaded for a second chance to repeat grade 11, determined to make something of her life with her grandmother’s support. Tragically, her life and dreams were cut short.
ELCRN Bishop Sageus |Keib, who presided over the funeral, emphasised the need for the community and family to forgive the perpetrator and further carry the memory of the deceased.
"We must acknowledge that this tragedy has touched the family in deeply painful and complex ways. Let us choose to stand together with compassion and integrity. Let us not rush judgement but instead seek truth, justice and healing together."
As the deceased were taken to their final resting place, Bishop |Keib called on the community not to allow the tragedy to define Usakos but rather to use it to rebuild homes with love, discipline and morality.