'New' treason accused face a longer wait to hear their fate

By: WERNER MENGES

TWELVE men accused of involvement in an alleged plan to forcibly secede the Caprivi Region were told on Friday that they can expect greater clarity on the prosecution against them in three weeks.

The 12 appeared in two separate groups of seven and five people

respectively in the Katima Mulilo and Mariental Magistrate's

Courts.

Their last appearances in those courts were on March 12, when

their cases were also postponed for three weeks so that the

Prosecutor General could decide on what charges they would face if

put on trial, and in which court.

 

With no decision from the PG available on Friday, their cases

were postponed until April 23.

 

The seven who appeared before Magistrate Rachel Sakala at Katima

Mulilo were Progress Kenyoka Munuma, Manuel Manepelo Makendano,

Samulandela Shine Samulandela, Vincent Siliye Liswaniso, Vincent

Khasu Sinasi, Alex Sinjabata Mushakwa and Salufu Diamond

Samunzala.

 

They were arrested on a charge of high treason in December,

after the Botswana authorities revoked their asylum and sent them

back to Namibia.

 

The Botswana authorities claimed at the time that their asylum

status had been cancelled because they had broken the conditions

under which they had been given protection in that country.

 

Appearing before Magistrate AS Venasius at Mariental were Alex

Liswani Mafwila and Boster Mubuyeta Samwele, whom the Botswana

authorities handed to their Namibian counterparts on December 6

2002, and Frederick Isaka Ntambilwa, John Tembwe Mazila and Hoster

Simasiku Ntombo.

 

In addition to the 12, another 107 people are accused of high

treason - their case is pending in the High Court at

Grootfontein.

 

A further 13 high treason suspects, who were discharged from the

High Court case when the court decided they had been brought before

it irregularly, also remain in custody, having been rearrested on

the same charges.

 

They are scheduled to appear in the Katima Mulilo Magistrate's

Court again on May 7.

 

Their last appearances in those courts were on March 12, when their

cases were also postponed for three weeks so that the Prosecutor

General could decide on what charges they would face if put on

trial, and in which court.With no decision from the PG available on

Friday, their cases were postponed until April 23.The seven who

appeared before Magistrate Rachel Sakala at Katima Mulilo were

Progress Kenyoka Munuma, Manuel Manepelo Makendano, Samulandela

Shine Samulandela, Vincent Siliye Liswaniso, Vincent Khasu Sinasi,

Alex Sinjabata Mushakwa and Salufu Diamond Samunzala.They were

arrested on a charge of high treason in December, after the

Botswana authorities revoked their asylum and sent them back to

Namibia.The Botswana authorities claimed at the time that their

asylum status had been cancelled because they had broken the

conditions under which they had been given protection in that

country.Appearing before Magistrate AS Venasius at Mariental were

Alex Liswani Mafwila and Boster Mubuyeta Samwele, whom the Botswana

authorities handed to their Namibian counterparts on December 6

2002, and Frederick Isaka Ntambilwa, John Tembwe Mazila and Hoster

Simasiku Ntombo.In addition to the 12, another 107 people are

accused of high treason - their case is pending in the High Court

at Grootfontein.A further 13 high treason suspects, who were

discharged from the High Court case when the court decided they had

been brought before it irregularly, also remain in custody, having

been rearrested on the same charges.They are scheduled to appear in

the Katima Mulilo Magistrate's Court again on May 7.

---