KATIMA MULILO – Four family members co-accused in the murder of Lemmy Mutonga, 52, who was a deputy director in the Ministry of Works and Transport at the time of his death, were denied bail when they appeared before magistrate David Munsu in the Ngoma Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
The four, Clements Sibalatani, 63, George Sibalatani, 36, Calyson Sibalatani, 27, and Patrick Sibalatani, 42, were arrested on Thursday last week after Mutonga was shot and killed, after a fight erupted as a result of a long-running land dispute between two families.
Police said Mutonga who was based in Windhoek had travelled to the Zambezi Region to relocate his cattle from a temporary cattle post at Bukalo, to Naziabo village in Nankutwe area in Kabbe North Constituency, where he had an unresolved land dispute with the Sibalatani family.
It is alleged George Sibalatani was the one who shot the deceased in the face, and he is also facing additional charges of possession of ammunition without a licence and defeating the course of justice. The other three suspects are each facing one charge of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
All four suspects opted to get private lawyers, and the case was postponed to August 20 to allow room for further police investigations and for the accused to get legal representation. Donnevan Schuter appeared for the State.
*Aron Mushaukwa is employed as an information officer in the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) based in Katima Mulilo