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Home / Troubled relationship ends in double killing
Troubled relationship ends in double killing
2016-08-02Staff Report 2 Windhoek A 26-year-old man fatally shot his girlfriend and then turned the gun on himself on Monday morning at a bar in Independence Avenue in Katutura. They both died on the spot. The deceased have been identified as Julia Hamukwaya who was employed as a bar lady and Laphael Kangula, a mechanic in Hakahana. They dated for nearly three years. The incident happened early yesterday morning at Etale Bar at about 00h30. A firearm registered in Kangula’s name was found at the scene of the shootings and two spent cartridges were also retrieved from the scene. It is alleged Kangula shot his girlfriend twice and then turned the gun to his head. What prompted Kangula to kill his girlfriend and himself remains a mystery. According to a 24-year-old man, Thomas Abraham, Kangula returned to the bar minutes after leaving it on Sunday evening, claiming his car was bumped while driving home. Kangula just sat in his car parked in the yard and Abraham suspected Hamukwaya and Kangula of chatting via cellphone text messages. He thought Kangula had come to pick up his girlfriend for them to spend the night together as they usually did. Abraham said that at around 23h51, bar lady Hamukwaya closed the bar door and remained inside to count the money. “I had just entered the bedroom at the back of the bar when I heard gunshots. She (Hamukwaya) screamed and another shot went off followed by a third one,” related Abraham. Abraham and his cousin ran to the bar area and found Hamukwaya and Kangula both lying dead in a pool of blood. According to Abraham, Kangula brought Hamukwaya kapana late Sunday afternoon and left immediately. He (Kangula) returned at about 22h00 and was in the bar playing pool and drinking a cool drink but left again. Only to return again, claiming his car was bumped. According to Hamukwaya’s relative, Ndeiweda Meitavelo, her cousin and Kangula would confide in her when they had problems. However, she said, Kangula had held them at knifepoint and gunpoint on two separate occasions. Meitavelo said that in March this year Kangula, who was nicknamed ‘Madipayo’ (which means 'killer' in Oshiwambo), held them at gunpoint while Hamukwaya was visiting her in Greenwell Matongo. “Kangula called Hamukwaya to enquire where she was and she responded she was visiting me and he showed up shortly aftewards. “We entered the bedroom after washing clothes while he followed us inside and he cocked his gun and pointed it at us. He un-cocked it and laughed saying we nearly died,” Meitavelo related one of the incidents. She had asked Hamukwaya whether she had gone back to him as they had separated earlier. Hamukwaya further told her she was tired of receiving insulting text messages from Kangula’s other girlfriend. Meitavelo also said that her cousin was expecting Kangula’s child last year but he made Hamukwaya abort the baby. Hamukwaya had written in her private notebook the date she had first met Kangula, her love for him, about her pregnancy and when he also made her angry. 2016-08-02Staff Report 2
