2017-08-09Staff Report 2 Maria Amakali Windhoek-A 21-year-old man, accused of fatally stabbing his friend, will be sentenced in September after the court found him guilty of the crime. Windhoek resident Bonya Mutumburua stabbed to death his long-time friend Joseph Nashitope four years ago. Katutura magistrate Elina Nandago last month found Mutumburua guilty of murder. Mutumburua was to be sentenced this week but it did not happen following the prosecutor Menencia Hinda’s revelation that the pre-sentencing report was not yet available. The prosecution managed to convince the court that Mutumburua on October 5, 2013, after an argument, intentionally stabbed his friend to death, although at the time he was a teenager. State witnesses who took the stand during the two-year trial testified that Mutumburua and the deceased were involved in a fight on the day that Nashitope died. Although the fight was stopped, Mutumburua saw it necessary to get a panga from his home, which he later replaced with a knife, to fatally stab his friend. Witnesses indicated the victim saw Mutumburua with a knife and he attempted to flee but Mutumburua caught up with him. Mutumburua stabbed his friend on the right side of his chest before he fled the scene, leaving him bleeding severely. In his defence Mutumburua informed the court he acted in self-defence and did not kill his friend intentionally. He claimed he was initially attacked by the deceased and merely defended himself, and did not recall why the deceased had assaulted him. Mutumburua will remain detained at Wanaheda police station following magistrate Nandago postponing the matter to September 4 for the attainment of the pre-sentencing report. 2017-08-09Staff Report 2
