Roland Routh
WINDHOEK – One of the women allegedly beaten by murder suspect Elwen Ganaxab and managed to escape his clutches before he turned his wrath on her friend, yesterday in the Windhoek High Court before Judge Alfred Siboleka testified about her ordeal.
Ganaxab already pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder in July last year whereafter Judge
Siboleka granted a postponement of almost a year as the accused wanted to get money together for his defence. He opted to use the services of lawyer Mbanga Siyomunji on a private basis.
It emerged however on Monday, when the trial was supposed to start, that Ganaxab had not paid Siyomunji.
The case was again postponed to yesterday in order for Siyomunji to secure the funds. Ganaxab is in custody on an unrelated matter involving domestic violence.
He is charged with beating to death Cathy Marlene Gatonye and attempting to kill Thalitha Patricia
Khai-Gu Mungunda during August 18 to 21, 2015 in Khomasdal. According to the charge sheet, Ganaxab met Gatonye and Mungunda at a bar during the late night hours of Tuesday, August 18 and the early hours of Wednesday, August 19,
2015. They later left the bar and drove to a service station in Khomasdal.
After refueling the vehicle, Ganaxab withdrew money from a nearby ATM and the group continued their
journey. Along the way an argument and later a physical fight ensued between Gana xab, Gatonye and Mungunda
and the vehicle was brought to a standstill.
Mungunda managed to escape. Gatonye died on August 21, 2015 in hospital due to blunt force trauma to the head.
She was beaten with fists and stabbed with a broken bottle.