Eight suspects were arrested at Rundu after a Grade 2 teacher was robbed by two men while she was teaching at the Rudolf Ngondo Primary School on Thursday.

It is alleged that the teacher withdrew an amount of N$14,000 from a local bank, meant for the regional sports event before she headed to school.

It is alleged that the suspects followed her to school.

The suspects allegedly gained entry to the school premises by jumping the fence and started looking for the teacher from one class to the next until they found her.

When the suspects finally entered the classroom where the victim was teaching, they allegedly grabbed the teacher's handbag, in which she had the cash she withdrew along with an additional N$1,200 of her own and some documents.

"In the bank, I don't think we were more than five; the bank was empty, so we withdrew 14 thousand from the bank. We went to the stadium just to see how the arrangements were, and then from there I came back to school. When I went to the bank, I did not carry any bags, I just hid the money in my bra. I came into the class and put the money in the bag, so from the time I started teaching my learners, after some minutes, maybe 20 minutes, the guys came and asked me first, Are you Miss Toini? And I said no, I was not the one, but after five minutes, they came with their knives, and lucky for me, there was another teacher who stood there and prevented them from stabbing me, and they stabbed me in the fingers, and they took the bag and ran," narrated the victim.

According to an eyewitness, the suspects then jumped the school fence and drove away in a silver Polo sedan, in which a female driver was waiting.

A male teacher who tried to defend his colleague was injured.

The principal of the school, Augushta Kapikara, says that on Friday morning they realized that some teachers and learners were still traumatized due to that event.

"I had to start with the teachers early in the morning, encouraging them, and seeing how we could prevent or protect ourselves from the attackers. That was our discussion this morning, but later we went to our children, calmed them down, and after the school board came in, we spoke. But then I am to go to the Ministry of Gender today so that at least they should come in and speak to the learners in that class."

The principal says the school also approached the security company, which promised to strengthen security at the school.

Contacted for comment Kavango East's acting Regional Commander, Deputy Commissioner Eino Nambahu, says of the eight suspects arrested, three will appear in the Rundu Magistrate's Court on Monday.

Deputy Commissioner Nambahu says at least seven planned robberies were recorded last year and 12 arrests were made, with this being the first planned robbery on record this year.

"Robbers are like birds, when they see they have no prospects of survival in other regions they tend to migrate to other regions so I want to warn them that Kavango East should not be one of their options to come and feel that they are comfortable here and they must remember that we had a similar incident where we gunned two down. I think that was last year, we gunned two down, and this can even happen; it can repeat itself if we can't arrest them alive, and we will bring them closer to their graves. This must be a warning to them, I also want to warn these upcoming youth that is now busy with their barbaric activities that maybe they are training themselves to become future robbers. They should cease that exercise immediately; otherwise, their days are numbered."

Deputy Commissioner Nambahu has advised the public to request police escorts when withdrawing large amounts of money.