Renthia Kaimbi
A male teacher at Wilhelm Nortier Primary School in Grootfontein was arrested last month after being accused of sexually molesting boys in the school’s hostel.
The arrest of Alexis Awaseb came only after he attempted suicide, amid a case that has exposed serious concerns about child safety and institutional accountability.
According to sources familiar with the incident, the alleged assault occurred on the night of 14 November 2025, during a widespread power outage in Grootfontein that lasted until after the learners’ bedtime.
It is alleged that Awaseb sneaked into the bed of a 13-year-old Grade 7 learner and made a sexual request, allegedly asking the boy to make his private parts “angry”.
When the learner resisted, Awaseb allegedly fondled the boy before the victim fled and hid under a roommate’s bed.
The following day, when the victim and his roommate questioned other learners, a second Grade 7 boy confessed that Awaseb had been sexually touching him since 2023 – approximately 13 times, beginning when the boy was just 11 years old in Grade 5.
One of the boys allegedly requested to use the hostel matron’s phone and called his parents, leading to police involvement. The parents of the latest victim fetched their child and opened a case.
Sources indicate that Awaseb had been staying in the hostel since 2021.
The same hostel has previously faced incidents of sexual misconduct among boys, who would allegedly masturbate and engage in oral sex, including during a rugby tour to Rehoboth.
Awaseb is alleged to have escaped from the hostel and attempted suicide after learning he was under investigation.
He was arrested only after this attempt. The case has been postponed to 29 January 2026, and Awaseb is being held at the Koblenz police station, outside Grootfontein.
The case is further complicated by allegations of corruption within the school’s administration. A relative of Awaseb, who is a former Grootfontein mayor, confirmed his arrest but declined further comment.
She confirmed that Awaseb wrote a suicide note implicating school principal Pandera Tjituka in corruption and accusing her of victimisation.
Principal Tjituka herself has a pending legal history. In November 2022, she was arrested for allegedly assaulting a 13-year-old girl and was released on N$4 000 bail.
Furthermore, Awaseb was reportedly scheduled for a disciplinary hearing on 17 November 2025 concerning separate fraud and corruption charges.
These charges, amounting to over N$20 000, relate to monies received for learner enrolment at the school in January 2025.
When contacted for comment, Grootfontein station commander senior inspector Andrew Kubas confirmed the case but referred all questions to Otjozondjupa regional police spokesperson Maureen Mbeha, who was still gathering details at the time of publication.
The ministry of education had also not commented at the time of publication.
