Four new cases involving murder and rape appeared last week before Windhoek High Court Deputy Judge President Hannelie Prinsloo for pre-trial procedures.
Piet Retif Gamaseb made a first appearance before Judge Prinsloo on charges of murder and defeating the course of justice. It is alleged that he killed his common-law wife, Davie Bokkie Hannes, with a knife at their shared residence in Soweto Location in Outjo on 12 March 2022 because of her snoring. It is alleged that they arrived home late at night, and the deceased was under the influence of liquor.
According to the State, the accused assaulted the deceased by hitting her with an iron bar and other unknown blunt objects after she did not stop snoring when he required her to do so. He then loaded her body onto a wheelbarrow and transported it to her mother’s house in the Sewende Laan location and dumped her. His matter will return to court on 17 September for a pre-trial hearing.
Quanito van Vuuren (27) and Moses Sem (22) are accused of murdering, raping, and robbing Vernon John Gavin on 30 December 2023. It is alleged by the State that the accused and the deceased were socialising at the residence of the deceased at Fairways Golf Course in Walvis Bay, drinking beer and smoking cigarettes.
At some stage, the indictment reads, the accused overpowered the deceased and took turns to rape him, whereafter they killed him by pushing a piece of cloth deep down his throat, causing him to die on the scene due to asphyxia. They thereafter robbed the deceased of a Samsung Galaxy A14 cellphone valued at N$4 000, a Samsung Tab A7 cellphone valued at N$9 000 and four caps valued at N$500 and a white floppy hat.
During their first appearance in the Walvis Bay Magistrate’s Court, one of the accused denied the rape charges and demanded that a DNA test be conducted. His body was found with his legs bound and a facecloth in the mouth by neighbours after multiple unanswered calls. Gavin’s phone was traced to the suspects.
Judge Prinsloo postponed the matter to 17 September for another pre-trial hearing, and the accused remains in custody at the section for trial awaiting inmates at the Windhoek Correctional Facility.
Jacobus Gawaseb (28), who allegedly killed his six-to-seven-month pregnant domestic partner and mother of his six-year-old daughter by hitting her with an iron knobkierie on her head, jumping on her body because he suspected her of infidelity, also made a first pre-trial appearance last week before Judge Prinsloo.
He is facing a charge of murder read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act and a charge of malicious damage to property. According to the indictment, he killed Fransiska Naobes on 3 March 2023 at Epako in the Gobabis. It is alleged by the State that during the assault, the deceased managed to run away and went to hide in the room of a neighbour, Fritz Witbeen, but the accused followed her and broke open the door valued at N$150 and continued the assault on the deceased, causing her to die on 19 April in the Windhoek Central Hospital. His matter was postponed to 17 September for a pre-trial appearance.
Another first appearance in the High Court on charges of murder, assault by threat, malicious damage to property, and defeating or obstructing the course of justice or an attempt thereto was for Protasius Pandenge Kuuvila (34). It is alleged that he killed his girlfriend because of jealousy. According to the State, he killed Auguste Ndemupandula Jonas by stabbing her 13 times with a knife, which he then discarded in an unknown manner to the State.
This, the State alleges, was after he found her in the company of Silas Nghishidimbwa on 19 March 2023 at her residence in the Telecom Location in Otjiwarongo. He threatened Nghishidimbwa with the knife, and the latter ran away. He proceeded to stab the deceased, who managed to flee and hide in the room of Nghishidimbwa. The accused, however, followed her and broke open the door and continued to stab the deceased. His matter was also postponed to 17 September.
-rrouth@nepc.com.na