WINDHOEK - A resident of the small town of Outjo was convicted on Friday on a charge of murder with direct intent on his own admission and a charge of common assault and assault by threat after the state called witnesses.

Levi Haneb, 32, pleaded guilty to murder before Windhoek High Court Judge, Alfred Siboleka, but denied assaulting or threatening to assault the deceased, Ingenesia Ais with whom he were in an intimate relationship prior to the incidents. Haneb is accused of the murder of Ais by hitting her at least eight times with a panga on her head, neck, arm and hand after locking himself and her in her room on April 3, 2015 in Outjo. He was also charged with assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm for pulling her out of her house between March 23 to 30, 2015 and holding her by her legs and beating her with clenched fists and or stones. Haneb was further charged with assault for threatening to kill or harm Ais by chasing her with a spear in his hands during August 2014. 

State Advocate Cliff Lutibezi accepted the guilty plea and then continued to call witnesses to prove the assault allegations. After three witnesses testified about the two incidents of assault, he was convicted on a charge of common assault and assault by threat. In a plea explanation entered on Haneb’s behalf by his Legal Aid lawyer, Jan Wessels, he admitted that there was an argument between himself and the deceased where after he left her house, but returned to the deceased’s house in the afternoon. After knocking, Haneb said the deceased opened the door for him and after he entered he locked the deceased and himself inside the house and started to assault her with a panga. He further admitted that he knew the assault was wrongful and unlawful and that he can be punished for it. He however admitted to only hitting the deceased three to four times on her body including her head and neck. “I admit that I knew my actions were unlawful and that my actions will cause the death of the deceased as I was using a panga as a weapon to inflict the wounds to vital parts of the body,” Haneb stated.

Regarding the assertion to eight wounds discovered on the body of Ais after an autopsy, Haneb said although he only hit the deceased three or four times, he submitted that more than one cut wound can be inflicted by a single blow with the panga depending on the way in which the deceased’s body was positioned at the time. “I, however admit that all the cut wounds were inflicted by me,” the statement reads. Haneb further said that he admit that at the time of the incident, he knew that he was busy killing the deceased and that she would die of her wounds “so inflicted by myself on her, and knew that in the event of her death I will be convicted on a charge of murder.” The matter will now return to court on October 29 for pre-sentencing submissions and Haneb’s bail was cancelled and was remanded to the trial awaiting section of the Windhoek Correctional Services facility.