Selma Ikela
WINDHOEK – A family has been torn apart after a fatal fight between two brothers resulted in one’s arrest while the other is being prepared for burial.
The fight emanated from a squabble over a N$20 debt which the one brother who sold roasted meat owed the other for firewood.
The suspect, Immanuel Nepela, 28, appeared in the Katutura Magistrate’s Court on Monday for killing his older brother, Salatiel Nghiyolwa, by stabbing him with a knife in the ribs at Ehambo dha Nehale informal settlement in Hakahana at 00h59 on Saturday.
Both the assailant and the victim who is no more had shared a shack.
Nepela’s case was remanded to August 22 for further investigations and his legal aid application. Prosecutor Arrie Husselmann said the State objected to bail because of the seriousness of the offence. However, Magistrate Bernedine Kubersky ruled that the suspect may bring a formal bail application.
City Police spokesperson Constable Edmund Khoaseb confirmed the incident.
“No one will feel good about the incident. And people will be scared of the killer,” said the brother’s older sister Soini Nghiyolwa, who is busy with funeral preparations before travelling to the north for the burial.
According to Nghiyolwa, Salatiel who was a taxi driver took firewood last week Tuesday to his brother Immanuel who sold grilled meat and the latter said he would pay him N$20 later in the day for the firewood.
Nghiyolwa said that earlier that evening Salatiel asked for his N$20 but a fight broke out between the two brothers.
Nghiyolwa said Immanuel had pushed and overpowered his older brother who dislocated his arm. Immanuel then strangled him, which caused him to pass out for some time. Immanuel was panicking when he called Nghiyolwa to relate the ordeal but at the same time Salatiel had regained consciousness.
The following day Nghiyolwa suggested the two should go their own ways and separate from each other. She told Immanuel to move out of the shack and go back to the north, but he refused. On Friday evening, Nghiyolwa said, she spoke to Salatiel before going to bed, only to be called at midnight that someone spotted Immanuel crying and walking to the main road holding a knife with bloodstains on it, and saying he had killed his own brother.
Nghiyolwa, who lives in Goreangab, was in disbelief and went to the place of the killing to confirm what she was told.
“I found him (Salatiel) lying on his back with no blood. I turned him over and saw a stab wound on his side,” said Nghiyolwa, adding that Immanuel was at the scene handcuffed by the police who were summoned.