WINDHOEK – The three men convicted of the murder and robbery of taxi driver Alfons Rijatua and dumping his body in the bushes near Rocky Crest were sentenced to a combined 108 years imprisonment.
Judge Naomi Shivute sentenced Jackie Jackson and Kaveto Pontianus Kwandu to a combined prison sentence of 40 years and Isaskar Nau-Gawaseb to a sentence of 42 years behind bars. They were convicted for murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and defeating or obstructing the course of justice over the slaying of taxi driver Alfons Rijatua (42) at the Hage Geingob Stadium during the period April 18-19, 2010. The reason Nau-Gaweseb received a lengthier sentence was that he already had a previous conviction for murder. According to Judge Shivute, the youthfulness of Jackson did not come into play when she considered his sentence.
“Although the first accused was the youngest, he played a leading role than the other two accused persons who were much older than him,” she said and continued “there is no evidence that he was influenced by someone older and the type of offences committed, as well as the circumstances in which they were committed are normally not the type of offences committed by immature persons.”
Judge Shivute further remarked the accused persons committed heinous crimes whereby the deceased lost his precious life, which was not a loss only to his family, but to society as a whole. She said the three accused persons are dangerous elements who need to be removed from society for a long time. According to Shivute, the personal circumstances of the accused persons are by far outweighed by the interests of society. She sentenced Jackson and Kwandu to 28 years on the murder charge each, Nau-Gawaseb to 30 years and all three 15 years for the robbery charge of which five years are to run concurrently with the murder sentence and two years each for defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
By Roland Routh