Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Ya Toivo’s former assistant walks free

Home Crime and Courts Ya Toivo’s former assistant walks free

Maria Amakali

Windhoek-Elia Shoopala Kapofi, a former long-serving assistant to late anti-apartheid veteran icon Andimba Toivo ya Toivo, last week walked out of the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court a free man.

Kapofi (49), who stood accused of stealing from Ya Toivo about N$71,000, became a free man last week when his case was struck from the court roll.

Making his mandatory court appearance before Magistrate Brand van Pletzen on bail of N$10,000, Kapofi was informed that his case has been struck from the roll and had his bail money refunded.

According to the state, the whereabouts of Kapofi’s criminal docket were unknown last week. Kapofi’s case was on the court’s roll for the prosecutor-general’s decision on whether Kapofi should be charged or not; and if he was to be charged, on what charges. The PG was also to decide on where Kapofi would attend his trial. According to the previous proceedings in November 2017, the docket was to be sent to the prosecutor-general for decision.

However, during court proceedings last week, there was no information regarding the prosecutor-general’s decision.
“The docket was not sent on the last occasion and this is unacceptable. We do not even know if the docket was ever sent,” noted Kapofi’s defense attorney Kadhila Amoomo, further objecting to a postponement.

With some of the prosecutors attending a training session, the assigned state prosecutor was not available in court to shed light on the PG’s decision or the docket itself.

Kapofi was arrested on August 18, 2017, on charges of theft and fraud. The prosecution was alleging that Kapofi wrongfully and intentionally withdrew about N$71,000 from the late Ya Toivo’s account on February 2, 2017. It is alleged that Kapofi, having been Ya Toivo’s aide for a very long time, was trusted with the deceased banking details that on occasions he would withdraw money for the late Ya Toivo’s household expenses.
Kapofi allegedly withdrew the money illegally months before Ya Toivo’s passing in June 2017.