WINDHOEK – Regional Court Magistrate Dinnah Usiku yesterday sentenced Salom Shifela to 10 years imprisonment for stabbing Haishama Venasius to death with a knife in the chest on July 8, 2007.
The fatal stabbing took place at the informal settlement of Babylon. Magistrate Usiku sentenced Shifela to 15 years imprisonment, of which five years were suspended on condition that he is not convicted of murder during that period. While delivering the sentence, Magistrate Usiku said: “It is clear that you caused the death of the deceased with direct intent, based on the evidence that was placed before court by the witnesses that testified during your trial.”
“Violent crimes have become a serious problem in our society. Your conduct has resulted in the death of the deceased who at the time was still in his prime age, 35 years,” the magistrate added. “In my view, you had ample opportunity to reflect and to stop when you were being advised to do so by the people who witnessed the incident. You chose to ignore their advice, and went on to stab the deceased,” said the magistrate.
By Tunomukwathi Asino