A senior police officer allegedly shot and killed his wife at Mariental before turning the gun on himself on Thursday. 

Hardap Police Acting Commander, Deputy Commissioner Gesina Nell confirmed the senior cop, who held the rank of inspector, shot and killed his wife inside the Aimablaagte AGS church in full view of other congregants. 

He then left the church and allegedly killed himself at a government home assigned to police officers. 

Deputy Commissioner Nell said the cop was on sick leave when he committed the murder and suicide. 

Namibia recorded 150 maternal deaths in 2020 due to the limitation of safe abortions and access to proper reproductive health services.

This is contained in the Global Report on Maternal Mortality by the United Nations Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group.

The global trend of maternal mortalities reveals an alarming setback for women's health in recent years. 

Maternal deaths either increased or stagnated in nearly all regions.

Mariental residents are complaining about the brown color of the water in the town, which they fear could pose a health risk.

According to Werner Von Watsdorf, a resident, the situation has been going on since the end of October last year. "We're dealing with a dirty drinking water situation; I'm not talking about slight cloudiness; I'm talking about dirty, unpurified, muddy water. Now, despite many meetings and discussions with the municipality and with NamWater, nothing has happened."

Three candidates vying for the Swapo Party  Vice-President position have wrapped up their internal campaigns at Mariental after a closed-door meeting with delegates from Hardap Region. 

nbc-News caught up with two of the party's candidates to give their overall impression on their campaigns in all 14 regions.

A fire destroyed the abandoned Edel Date Farm south of Mariental on Friday night.

Heinrich Swapo Ndume, the owner of Octant Investment Pty, which owns shares in the date farm, confirmed that a fire had ripped through the farm, causing major damage.

Ndume suspects the fire was an act of arson, describing the damage caused by the fire as devastating.

He claims that the farm, which spanned 40 hectares, 30 of which were under cultivation, exported dates worth approximately N$52 million to the United Arab Emirates and South Africa each year.