A 31-year-old man, accused of killing his 19-year-old girlfriend, allegedly confessed to a police officer that he needed to be arrested because he had beaten up his girlfriend.

Sergeant Emmekie Katupose yesterday told Windhoek High Court Judge Claudia Claasen that Lolo Tweumona Kambwela arrived at the Otjiwarongo police station, where she was on duty, and asked to be arrested. 

At that stage, she did not know him, and wanted to know from him why he must be arrested. 

He then told her that he had a fight with his girlfriend, and that he beat her badly.

He had told the officer that he was sure she (his girlfriend) would come and lay a charge. 

The officer testified that she asked Kambwela where the girlfriend was, as she could not just arrest him.

 He told the officer that she was in the DRC location. 

The officer asked him to wait for a car so they could go and ascertain the extent of the injuries to the girlfriend. 

She said when she asked him his girlfriend’s name, he said “Ndishima or something to that effect”. 

While they were waiting for the car, a call came through to the station about a lady who was beaten up by her boyfriend, the officer testified. 

She and another officer then went to the scene of the call. At that stage, she did not know where the scene was. 

When they arrived at the house of the call, she was told the name of the victim was Ndishima. 

She immediately connected the two names, and went to where the accused was in the vehicle. 

She asked him if he lived at that house. 

When he affirmed, she let him out, and took him to the door of the house, which was locked with a padlock. 

 When he was asked to open the door, Kambwela took a piece of metal and broke open the door.

 When the officer asked him about the key, he said he did not have it. 

She and her colleagues then went inside with the accused. 

At first, they could not see the victim. 

When the officer asked the accused, he said the victim was under the bed. 

One of her colleagues then moved the mattress, and they could see the deceased with stab wounds on her body. 

They then called the scene of crime officers to come, and arrested Kambwela on the spot. 

He is on trial for murder and defeating or attempting to defeat the course of justice. 

It is alleged by the State that he murdered Nghimushima Haaufiku, with whom he was in an intimate relationship.

 The State alleges that Kambwela went to the shack of the deceased during the evening hours of 13 February 2022, and an argument erupted between them. 

He then stabbed her at least 51 times with a knife, causing her to die due to hypovolemic shock because of blood loss caused by the stab wounds to her chest, the State alleges. 

It is further alleged that he then took the knife and a cellphone they used between them, and locked the deceased’s body inside the shack with a padlock. 

He threw away the key to the padlock and the knife to frustrate the police in their investigations into the death of the deceased. 

He reported himself later that night to the police. 

He denied guilt at the start of his trial. 

Kambwela is represented by Legal Aid lawyer Kenneth Siambango, and the State by Anna Amukugo. 

He remains in custody.

-rrouth@nepc.com.na