WINDHOEK – Family, friends and sympathisers of the late Ndihole-Omwene Joleinge showed up in numbers last week at the Katutura Magistrate’s Court to  march against the release of the man accused of killing her last year. 

The accused, Moses Tomas, faces a charge of murder read with the provisions of the Domestic Violence Act. The prosecution is charging that Tomas, on March 26, 2018 intentionally and unlawfully killed Joleinge. 
Joleinge’s throat was slit with a knife in Windhoek’s informal settlement of Okuryangava.

During his court appearance in a fully packed courtroom before Magistrate Johannes Shuuveni, Tomas was informed that the prosecutor general had not yet made a decision in his case. Consequently, the court gave a final remand for the prosecutor general to pronounce herself in the matter, postponing the case to December 6. 

During the previous court proceedings, the docket was sent back to the investigating officer by the prosecutor general with additional instructions that needed to be complied with. 

Joleinge is said to be Tomas’ ex-lover and mother of his two children. It is alleged that on the date of the incident, Tomas requested to have a private conversation with Joleinge. Joleinge was allegedly at her rented room at Oneleyiwa location in Okuryangava, Katutura.

The former couple allegedly moved behind the shack as per Tomas’ request. Tomas then apparently slit Joleinge’s throat and fled the scene. New Era previously reported that Tomas was seen by eyewitnesses carrying a container under his arm, believed to be battery acid.

According to police reports, Tomas was found in his shack in a critical state. It is believed he had consumed battery acid in an attempt to commit suicide.

Tomas has been in police custody since he was discharged from the hospital as the court refused to release him on bail. According to the court there is fear he might abscond and interfere with state witnesses, and it would not be in the best interest of the public or the administration of justice.