Assault on murder victim recounted in trial of four

ON the night of her death, murder victim Theresia Afrikaner was punched, kicked and slapped before she was dragged into the darkness, never to be seen alive again, witnesses in the trial of the four men accused of murdering and raping her testified in the High Court last week.

What happened to Afrikaner (23) after the assault that is claimed to have been seen by a string of eyewitnesses in Windhoek’s Okuryangava area during the early morning hours of May 14 2005, is testified to by a collection of photographs that also became part of the evidence in the trial before Acting Judge Claus Hinrichsen on Friday. The photos show Afrikaner where she was found dead, lying partly naked in a dry riverbed.Her right eye was swollen shut.She had blood on her face.Her underwear and pants were found lying some distance away, as was a knife.On trial before Acting Judge Hinrichsen are four men – Sam Angolo (24), Jonathan Ashipala Taapopi (22), Stefanus Lazarus (28) and Thomas Phillemon (27) – who face a total of 18 charges in connection with the events that led Afrikaner’s violent death.The four men are jointly charged with counts of kidnapping and murder.Each of them is also charged with four counts of rape, in which it is alleged that they had taken part in gang-raping Afrikaner during the night that she was killed.All of them pleaded not guilty to all charges at the start of their trial on Tuesday.A cousin of Afrikaner, Maria Afrikaner, testified on Tuesday that she saw Ashipala punch and slap Afrikaner before he dragged her off into the darkness, where Angolo followed him.A sister of the late Afrikaner, Fransina Afrikaner, testified on Thursday that she had gone to wake up Maria Afrikaner to get help after she had herself been woken by cries for help that came from Theresia Afrikaner.She said when she went out of her house she found Angolo beating and kicking Afrikaner.At times Afrikaner fell to the ground, with Angolo then kicking her on the ground, she claimed.Each time Afrikaner got up again, Angolo continued beating and kicking her, she said.She related that after she had gone to call Maria Afrikaner, they found Ashipala holding Theresia Afrikaner.When Maria Afrikaner asked him why he was holding her like that, he answered that she had been drinking his alcohol, and threatened to stab the two women who were questioning him, the witness said.Fransina Afrikaner testified that Lazarus was standing by the side, looking on as this assault was taking place.Angolo was in the meantime claiming to Maria Afrikaner that he was only trying to help Theresia Afrikaner, the witness said.She said Ashipala finally took Afrikaner with him as he went off into the darkness, with Lazarus and Angolo following.She could still hear Theresia Afrikaner screaming for help as she was being taken away, she said.Afrikaner was found dead early that following morning.Another alleged eyewitness to the assault, Jakobus Munyala, told Acting Judge Hinrichsen that he was also woken by cries for help coming from Afrikaner.When he went out of his house, he said, he found Afrikaner and Angolo engaged in a fight.Munyala related that Angolo was saying that Afrikaner had spent his money.Afrikaner was sitting on a rock at some stage, he said.She was in that position when Angolo came and kicked her with force on her forehead, Munyala said.He said Angolo left at one stage, and Afrikaner then also walked off.He thought she was heading home, but the next morning he heard that she had been found dead, he said.A fourth alleged eyewitness, Petrus Namene, testified that he was driving by in a vehicle when he saw Angolo beating, slapping and kicking a woman.When he stopped and asked Angolo what was going on, Angolo told him that the woman had asked him to escort her home, but she now wanted to return to a bar instead.He also said she had finished his money, Namene said.Ashipala then appeared on the scene, held the woman by her arms and said he was going to take her home, Namene said.According to Ashipala’s defence lawyer, Profysen Muluti, Ashipala only admits to having slapped Afrikaner – according to him because of the way she allegedly spoke to him when he tried to help her when she was being assaulted by Angolo.Ashipala is also claiming that he slapped Afrikaner after she slapped him first, and that he then left her with Angolo as he went home.He is denying that he took Afrikaner with him as he left the scene of the fighting, Muluti has indicated.The trial is continuing.All four accused men are being held in custody.The photos show Afrikaner where she was found dead, lying partly naked in a dry riverbed.Her right eye was swollen shut.She had blood on her face.Her underwear and pants were found lying some distance away, as was a knife.On trial before Acting Judge Hinrichsen are four men – Sam Angolo (24), Jonathan Ashipala Taapopi (22), Stefanus Lazarus (28) and Thomas Phillemon (27) – who face a total of 18 charges in connection with the events that led Afrikaner’s violent death.The four men are jointly charged with counts of kidnapping and murder.Each of them is also charged with four counts of rape, in which it is alleged that they had taken part in gang-raping Afrikaner during the night that she was killed.All of them pleaded not guilty to all charges at the start of their trial on Tuesday.A cousin of Afrikaner, Maria Afrikaner, testified on Tuesday that she saw Ashipala punch and slap Afrikaner before he dragged her off into the darkness, where Angolo followed him.A sister of the late Afrikaner, Fransina Afrikaner, testified on Thursday that she had gone to wake up Maria Afrikaner to get help after she had herself been woken by cries for help that came from Theresia Afrikaner.She said when she went out of her house she found Angolo beating and kicking Afrikaner.At times Afrikaner fell to the ground, with Angolo then kicking her on the ground, she claimed.Each time Afrikaner got up again, Angolo continued beating and kicking her, she said.She related that after she had gone to call Maria Afrikaner, they found Ashipala holding Theresia Afrikaner.When Maria Afrikaner asked him why he was holding her like that, he answered that she had been drinking his alcohol, and threatened to stab the two women who were questioning him, the witness said.Fransina Afrikaner testified that Lazarus was standing by the side, looking on as this assault was taking place.Angolo was in the meantime claiming to Maria Afrikaner that he was only trying to help Theresia Afrikaner, the witness said.She said Ashipala finally took Afrikaner with him as he went off into the darkness, with Lazarus and Angolo following.She could still hear Theresia Afrikaner screaming for help as she was being taken away, she said.Afrikaner was found dead early that following morning.Another alleged eyewitness to the assault, Jakobus Munyala, told Acting Judge Hinrichsen that he was also woken by cries for help coming from Afrikaner.When he went out of his house, he said, he found Afrikaner and Angolo engaged in a fight.Munyala related that Angolo was saying that Afrikaner had spent his money.Afrikaner was sitting on a rock at some stage, he said.She was in that position when Angolo came and kicked her with force on her forehead, Munyala said.He said Angolo left at one stage, and Afrikaner then also walked off.He thought she was heading home, but the next morning he heard that she had been found dead, he said.A fourth alleged eyewitness, Petrus Namene, testified that he was driving by in a vehicle when he saw Angolo beating, slapping and kicking a woman.When he stopped and asked Angolo what was going on, Angolo told him that the woman had asked him to escort her home, but she now wanted to return to a bar instead.He also said she had finished his money, Namene said.Ashipala then appeared on the scene, held the woman by her arms and said he was going to take her home, Namene said.According to Ashipala’s defence lawyer, Profysen Muluti, Ashipala only admits to having slapped Afrikaner – according to him because of the way she allegedly spoke to him when he tried to help her when she was being assaulted by Angolo.Ashipala is also claiming that he slapped Afrikaner after she slapped him first, and that he then left her with Angolo as he went home.He is denying that he took Afrikaner with him as he left the scene of the fighting, Muluti has indicated.The trial is continuing.All four accused men are being held in custody.