Iuze Mukube
A Hoachanas resident, who is accused of a string of rape charges, notably one involving a four-month-old baby girl, told the court that he was not present when the alleged incidents occurred.
Jonas Murao (45) was testifying in his defence before Windhoek High Court Judge Claudia Claasen yesterday. Murao faces nine charges, including two counts of rape, three counts of housebreaking and theft, one count of housebreaking with intent to rape and rape, two counts of housebreaking with intent to rape and attempted rape, and one count of abduction.
He denied any involvement in the offences and stated that he had been working on a post at a settlement farm at the time the crimes were allegedly committed in Hoachanas. At the start of his trial in June last year, he pleaded not guilty to all charges and placed the onus on the State to prove its allegations.
The charges against the accused arise from events that allegedly took place at Hoachanas in November 2008, February 2012, May 2016 and November 2016.
He testified that he arrived at Hoachanas on 19 November 2008 from a farm where he was working, carrying meat that he said had been requested by the complainant, Rudolf Beukes, in relation to the three counts of housebreaking and theft.
He stated that Beukes had promised to compensate the meat with various items, and the complainant gave him the key to enter the shop, where the alleged theft occurred. Upon entering the shop, he placed the meat inside as he was told to do and took a five-litre can of Tassenberg, four large bottles of Tafel Lager and 2 packets of cigarettes. He then closed and locked the door before returning the keys to Beukes, who, upon seeing the items, said that it was okay.
Murao also stated that he was not aware of the allegations that he broke into Beukes’ shop on 20 and 22 November 2008 again and stole various items. He said he was not in Hoachanas at that time and that he only came to Hoachanas on 19 November 2008 and returned the same day to the farm where he was working.
On the three counts pertaining to the allegations of housebreaking and theft that occurred on 19, 20 and 22 November, the State is alleging that Murao broke into a shop three times and stole alcohol, cigarettes and money. Murao also denied breaking into or going to the house of a woman on 3 February 2012 and said he did not commit a sexual act with her whilst she was sleeping.
On 14 May 2016, while the State alleges Murao again broke into a house and attempted to commit a sexual act with a sleeping woman, he denied being in Hoachanas at the time the incident happened.
He testified that he only returned to Hoachanas on the morning of 15 or 19 May 2016.
He also testified on another count where it is alleged that he broke into a house and had sex with another woman while she was sleeping on 12 November 2016, and that he was not present.
He said he was herding cattle at a farm that month – and on that date, he was still on the farm.
He stated that two people even brought him food and meat whilst there.
“I was not there. I would never do such a thing. I also have a girl child,” he stated in denying the allegations that he broke into a house at Hoachanas, carried off a four-month-old baby girl from the house and proceeded to rape her.
The incident occurred on 12 November 2016. On the allegations, he stated that he never had a conversation with a police officer in which he allegedly told him that he did rape the young child. “We did not have a conversation. I did not tell him, and I never made a statement,” he said.
Prior to the State closing its case in the matter on Tuesday, the mother of the four-month-old baby testified that she did not believe her daughter had been raped whilst she was sleeping in her one-bedroom house.
She said she would have woken up earlier from the baby’s cries if she had been violated inside the house. She told the court her daughter must have been taken from her house, raped and then returned.
The State is represented by Deputy Prosecutor General Dominic Lisulo, and Murao by Peru Liebenberg.
The matter continues today.