Maria Amakali

Namibia Qualifications Authority CEO Frans Gertze, who was arrested last year for allegedly shooting his wife six times, is set to return to court in May after his case was postponed last week in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court. Magistrate Linus Samunzala postponed Gertze’s case to 21 May following directives from the Office of the Judiciary that courts should adhere to the rules and regulation of the lockdown, which is necessitated by the fight against Covid-19. 
The 55-year-old Gertze is charged with a count of attempted murder read with the provisions of the Domestic Violence Act and two alternative charges, one of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm read with the provisions of the Domestic Violence Act and negligent discharge of a firearm. 
All charges stem from a shooting incident that occurred in November 2019, which resulted in the hospitalisation of Gertze’s wife, Anita, and mother to his two children.  According to police reports at the time, Gertze informed the police that he heard intruders walking into his house and that he randomly fired his rifle in the bedroom that he shares with his wife. Upon police inspection on the property, they established there was no sign the house was broken into by the alleged intruders. 
After the shooting incident, he drove his wife and their two children to the Roman Catholic Hospital, where Anita was admitted into an intensive care unit (ICU). The victim is currently in a stable condition. 
In a statement that was read in court, Anita refuted claims that Gertze was trying to kill her. She informed the court she was trying to prevent her husband from committing suicide on the fateful day but got shot while they were fighting for the gun. 
Anita made the sworn statement with the police, stating she was in favour of her husband being released on bail. Gertze was consequently granted bail in the amount of N$5 000. – mamakali@nepc.com.na