A reflection on National Prayer Day

Iuze Mukube

Somehow, many people believe that a higher power will intervene when human nature fails.

Human nature is fickle.

It can act on impulse, ego, pride and emotions that do not forgive easily.

In the heat of an argument, anger can overpower reason, while intoxication and irrational behaviour can further cloud a person’s judgement.

Although I do not dispute that the Almighty Father in Heaven, if you are a believer, can intervene, such intervention cannot do much when actions oppose.

Actions made in irrationality, often if not many times, have irreversible consequences: the death of a mother, wife, friend, child, husband, boyfriend or girlfriend. I have often wondered about some of the factors of gender-based violence and the resulting consequences of violence in a romantic relationship.

Why not let go if the relationship has ended? Why retaliate when the other person wants to leave?

Why allow anger, pride or rejection to dictate the next action when the consequences can be fatal?

This is where the ability to stop oneself, think and critically analyse the consequences of one’s actions becomes critical.

Think before you act. Because one act can be just that – irreversible, and no amount of regret, prayer or apology can bring a life back.

The reflection above has been simmering below, as one attended court cases for over two years, and the National Prayer Day summoned such.

Even as communities prayed for an end to gender-based violence (GBV), the violence continued.

Shocker, others still took lives and inflicted harm, a grim reality of how onerous it is to reconcile society’s prayers for peace with the actions of those who continue to perpetrate violence.

While some Namibians, this Saturday, 12 September 2026, prayed to end murder and commissions of acts of violence in the home, individualistic behaviour depicted a contrary conduct.

In this piece, we reflect on some of the heinous crimes that ran parallel as Namibians from all works of life converged in unison, seeking divine intervention on National Prayer Day.

In Divundu, a man kicked a pot of boiling porridge towards a woman, resulting in serious burns to her face, hands and legs during an argument.

In Ogha, a young man (24) is reported to have died from a stab wound during an argument that culminated into a physical fight.

Meanwhile, a man (46) shot his girlfriend (43) in the head and on the arm with a pistol before turning the gun on himself in Okongo.

The man died, and the victim is still in hospital.

In another incident, an 11-year-old boy’s body was found in Rehoboth in a riverbed. Police investigations are still ongoing.

More so, chains were used on Saturday in Okakarara to beat the life out of a woman (43).

In Grootfontein, a man stabbed his girlfriend (40) with a knife.

Similarly, in Mondesa, a boy (16) died from a stab wound during an argument that escalated into a physical fight.

As the Chinese proverb goes, without trustworthiness, a person cannot stand.

Calls for intervention mean little when others continue to perpetrate the very violence condemned.

The cases above say that much of an arduous fight is still to be fought.

In a judgement, a judge, while sentencing former teacher Patrick Geingob, who was convicted of murdering his wife, said something that is still stuck to this day.

One must live with what they have done, even if they pray and assert remorse.

In my view, what does remorse mean after a life has been taken?

You may pray for forgiveness, but you must live with the consequences of your actions.

This made me believe that perhaps the greatest battle against GBV is not fought in courtrooms after a life has been lost, nor only on prayer days, but in the few seconds when anger demands retaliation and a person must decide whether to act or walk away.

Prayer can ask for change at a national level, but the individual must have corresponding conduct, responsibility, self-control and the decision to walk away from violence.

Pray, yes – not once, twice, but without ceasing, and maybe then you will think before you act.

****Iuze Mukube is New Era’s lead court and crime reporter. The views expressed herein do not reflect those of her employer. ***

–imukube@nepc.com.na

The post A reflection on National Prayer Day appeared first on New Era.