Windhoek
Johannes Lukuwa Hausiku, the man believed to have terrorised women in the sleepy town of Outjo during 2012, is currently without a lawyer. This came after his State-funded legal representative Mbanga Siyomunji withdrew from the case because of conflicting instructions.
Siyomunji wanted the court to send Hausiku for mental observation after he (Hausiku) started giving him conflicting instructions and denying instructions he gave to the lawyer. Judge Nate Ndauendapo refused the application, stating he will give his reasons for his refusal at the end of the trial.
State Advocate Ethel Ndlovu closed the State’s case last week and the defence case was supposed to start on Monday, but after Siyomunji’s withdrawal another lawyer will have to be assigned to the case. Judge Ndauendapo this week postponed the case to March 22 to enable Hausiku to get a new lawyer.
Hausiku faces one count of murder, two counts of kidnapping, two counts of attempted rape, one count of defeating or attempting to defeat the course of justice, one count of robbery and eight counts of rape.
In the indictment it is alleged he followed a woman who was on her way home from a shebeen during the early morning hours of January 28, 2012, grabbed her by the throat, hit her on her head and tied her mouth with a piece of cloth. He then allegedly twisted her arm and pulled her into the bushes, where he detained and raped her on six occasions.
Hausiku also threatened to kill the woman and robbed her of her cellphone, where after he released her.
The next evening Hausiku allegedly accused another woman of stealing his money and asked her to accompany him to the residence of a witness to sort out the issue. On the way the grabbed the complainant’s arm and dragged her into the bushes where he allegedly also tried to rape her. She was fortunately rescued by someone who heard her screaming. It is alleged Hausiku also threatened to kill the complainant.
According to the indictment Hausiku raped another woman on May 30, 2012 and killed her two-year-old son. It is stated the complainant took her son with her when she visited some shebeens in Outjo, where she encountered Hausiku who bought her some liquor. When the complainant became very drunk she and the deceased left the shebeen on foot, but while on her way Hausiku kidnapped her.
It is alleged Hausiku killed the child by stabbing him with a knife and/or hitting him with a blunt object on the head.
The toddler died as a result of blunt impact head trauma, caused by the assault on him.
Further he allegedly raped the complainant twice and attempted to rape her once. Apparently the last complainant was so drunk she could not remember what happened from the time she and the deceased left the last shebeen until she woke up the next morning next to the accused, who told her that he had rescued her from four men who killed the child and wanted to kill her too.
He then proceeded to rape her again the indictment reads. They then went to the Outjo Police Station, where Hausiku informed the police of the child’s murder and made a false statement to the police with the intent to obstruct the course of justice, according to the indictment.