Iuze Mukube

Twelve years later, the family of Gobabis’s stock theft investigator Hiambepo ‘Major’ Kazeurua finally found a measure of closure. 

This is after the custodial sentences to his killers were delivered last Friday in the Windhoek High Court.

Acting Judge Alfred Siboleka has sentenced three men to 25 years in prison each for the murder of Kazeurua (57) on 28 December 2012 in the Omaheke region.

Siboleka highlighted the gravity of the crime. He said the accused are a danger to stock farmers and humanity.

He added that, in serious crimes of this nature, only custodial sentences can help bring genuine closure to bereaved families, restore order and uphold the community’s confidence in the justice system.

He then handed Stockley Kauejao (51), Matheu Kakururume (38) and Muvare Kaporo (32) each an effective 25 years for murder, following their conviction in April for strangling the deceased and then burning and concealing his body.

In addition, the three were each sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for stock theft and a further five years for defeating or obstructing the course of justice. Siboleka ordered that the sentences imposed on the three sentences for stock theft and obstructing the course of justice run concurrently with the sentence imposed for murder. A fourth accused in the matter, Afas Kamutjemo (49), was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for stock theft and an additional five years for defeating or obstructing the course of justice.

Siboleka ordered that the five-year sentence imposed on Kamutjemo for defeating the course of justice runs concurrently with the 15-year sentence imposed on him for stock theft.

The court documents read that, of the crimes committed, Kakururume and Kaporo stole fifteen cattle valued at N$75 000 from the complainant at Farm Rembrandt. 

They chased them through part of the fence they had already lowered and drove them into the nearby adjacent farm, Farm Brazil.

The two then pretended to be the complainants in the matter and called the stock theft unit of the police in Gobabis, asking for help to find the cattle.

To make matters worse, when the officers came to help in the search as requested, the two deceitfully took the officers in the wrong direction, later finding themselves at another farm. The two did all this while knowing they had in fact driven the stolen cattle into Farm Brazil. 

This was from where Kamutjemo loaded them on Kauejao’s truck during the night and transported them to Farm Groot Ums.

The deceased, a community stock theft investigator, was requested to investigate the matter and find the stolen cattle. 

He took Kakururume and Kaporo on his vehicle, driving with them between farms, questioning them on the whereabouts of the fifteen stolen cattle. While being questioned, the two realised that they had given the deceased a lot of information regarding the missing cattle.

They carefully planned an assault on him. Kakururume then asked that the vehicle be stopped, pretending to be pressed by Mother Nature. When the vehicle stopped, he instead just walked away into the bushes, prompting the deceased to follow and attempt to bring him back. Siboleka stated that, in what appeared to him to be a well-crafted and thought-through manoeuvre, Kaporo immediately came behind the deceased.

 The two launched a fatal attack that ended in strangling the stock investigator to death.

He added that Kazeurua’s body was pushed into an anteater hole and covered with half-burnt grass to avoid detection. 

They also burnt his vehicle.

Kauejao, whom Siboleka described as the mastermind, orchestrated the theft of 15 head of cattle and directed the brutal killing.

During the incident, he was still able to talk to Kakururume and Kaporo on the phone. 

The two informed Kauejao about what they had done every step of the way.

Kauejao later directed them to his house in Gobabis to collect their money and leave the area to avoid detection, which is what they did.

“It was a well-crafted, deceitful plan that was put in place from the beginning to the end. This is what eventuated in the commission of all the crimes in this matter,” stated Siboleka.

“The deceased was mercilessly and brutally murdered, and his vehicle burnt out. All ear tags were removed from the stolen cattle to avoid identification,” he added.

Taking all that into account, he imposed custodial sentences on all four to reflect the seriousness of the crimes to bring closure to the bereaved family and help restore order within the community.

Kauejao was represented by Salomon Kanyemba, Kakururume and Kaporo by Mbanga Siyomunji, and Kamutjemo by Jan Hendrik Wessels of the Stern & Barnard law firm.  –mukubeiuze@gmail.com