Court hears of car that disgorged a million N$

A SPLIT in the ranks of the eight remaining men charged with Namibia’s biggest armed robbery to date broadened last week.

Evidence of the split emerged in the High Court in Windhoek the week before last during the testimony of one of the eight, South African Vincent Njabulo Mabuza (29). Last week Mabuza continued to give evidence that contradicts exculpatory claims that some of his co-accused have made until now before Judge Annel Silungwe.The physical arrangements in the court and the detention of the eight added to the evidence of the split.Since March 15, Mabuza has been kept in Police custody separately following an order from Judge Silungwe.He also no longer sits together with his co-accused in the dock.Defence counsel Nate Ndauendapo also felt the effect of the fall-out from Mabuza’s testimony.Ndauendapo, who had been representing Mabuza and three of his co-accused – Brandon Similo, Arvo Natangwe Haipinge and Ismael Oaeb – since the start of their long-running trial near the end of October 2002, had to withdraw from the case because of conflicts that have arisen between the defence that Mabuza on the one hand, and his other three clients on the other hand, are presenting to the court.Mabuza and the other clients of Ndauendapo, as well as another co-accused, South African Mike Mabena, were arrested in a house in Cape Town’s Camps Bay suburb in an early morning police raid on November 22 1999.That was five days after armed robbers staged a highway heist near Windhoek in which N$5,3 million in cash was stolen from two security company employees on their way to Ondangwa to deliver the money to banks there.The N$5,3 million is the largest sum of money to have been stolen in a robbery in Namibia to date.More than N$4 million remains unaccounted for, Police claim.They also claim that the largest slice of the money to have been recovered so far is the N$909 250 found in the Camps Bay house where the gang was arrested.In his evidence, Mabuza provided some potentially crucial background information on how the money could have arrived at the house.He testified that on the Monday after the robbery, November 20 1999, Mabena, Oaeb, Similo and Haipinge had arrived at the house in two vehicles.Mabuza himself had flown from Windhoek – were he had been visiting with Mabena – the day before, he said.He explained that he had decided to leave the city because he had not seen Mabena, who is his cousin, for days after the latter had left him at a house that they shared with someone else.At an earlier stage at that house, he had also met two of his co-accused in the case, Mabuza said.They were South African Hyacinth James Ningisa, and Hendrick (Hennie) Tsibande, of whom a fingerprint is claimed to have been found in the get-away vehicle.Ningisa is alleged to have been wounded in a shoot-out during the heist and his blood is claimed to have been found in the stolen bakkie used to carry out the heist Mabuza testified that in the early morning hours of November 17 he received a phone call from Mabena, who told him that Ningisa had been shot and asked him to look for a phone number of someone in Durban.After that phone call, and until they met again in Cape Town, he had not seen Mabena again in Windhoek, Mabuza said.On the Monday, though, Mabena and the other three accused arrived in Camps Bay, Mabuza added.This contradicts evidence from Oaeb, Similo and Haipinge, who told the court that they arrived on the Tuesday.The three suspects also denied any knowledge of the money claimed to have been found in the house.According to Mabuza, though, he went into a garage where one of the vehicles that the four had arrived in was parked.That was still on the Monday.”When I got to the garage, I found stacks and stacks of money, and the panels of the doors were removed,” he stated.The money came from a Volkswagen Golf, he said.This vehicle is alleged to have belonged to Oaeb.Mabena and another person who had been at the house were taking the money out of the doors, while Oaeb, Similo and Haipinge were standing by, “smoking and chatting”, the court heard.The money consisted of Namibian 50-dollar notes, Mabuza added.When the Police raided the house two days later, they found the money in a bag belonging to Mabena, Mabuza said.Mabena also directed him [Mabuza] to a place under a pillow where the key with which the bag could be unlocked was hidden, Mabuza testified.He is set to testify under cross-examination when the trial continues.Mabuza is the second last of the eight suspects who remain charged before Judge Silungwe to testify in his own defence.Only Mabena still has to give evidence.Their case is scheduled to return to court today.All the accused are in custody.Last week Mabuza continued to give evidence that contradicts exculpatory claims that some of his co-accused have made until now before Judge Annel Silungwe.The physical arrangements in the court and the detention of the eight added to the evidence of the split.Since March 15, Mabuza has been kept in Police custody separately following an order from Judge Silungwe.He also no longer sits together with his co-accused in the dock.Defence counsel Nate Ndauendapo also felt the effect of the fall-out from Mabuza’s testimony.Ndauendapo, who had been representing Mabuza and three of his co-accused – Brandon Similo, Arvo Natangwe Haipinge and Ismael Oaeb – since the start of their long-running trial near the end of October 2002, had to withdraw from the case because of conflicts that have arisen between the defence that Mabuza on the one hand, and his other three clients on the other hand, are presenting to the court.Mabuza and the other clients of Ndauendapo, as well as another co-accused, South African Mike Mabena, were arrested in a house in Cape Town’s Camps Bay suburb in an early morning police raid on November 22 1999.That was five days after armed robbers staged a highway heist near Windhoek in which N$5,3 million in cash was stolen from two security company employees on their way to Ondangwa to deliver the money to banks there.The N$5,3 million is the largest sum of money to have been stolen in a robbery in Namibia to date.More than N$4 million remains unaccounted for, Police claim.They also claim that the largest slice of the money to have been recovered so far is the N$909 250 found in the Camps Bay house where the gang was arrested.In his evidence, Mabuza provided some potentially crucial background information on how the money could have arrived at the house.He testified that on the Monday after the robbery, November 20 1999, Mabena, Oaeb, Similo and Haipinge had arrived at the house in two vehicles.Mabuza himself had flown from Windhoek – were he had been visiting with Mabena – the day before, he said.He explained that he had decided to leave the city because he had not seen Mabena, who is his cousin, for days after the latter had left him at a house that they shared with someone else.At an earlier stage at that house, he had also met two of his co-accused in the case, Mabuza said.They were South African Hyacinth James Ningisa, and Hendrick (Hennie) Tsibande, of whom a fingerprint is claimed to have been found in the get-away vehicle.Ningisa is alleged to have been wounded in a shoot-out during the heist and his blood is claimed to have been found in the stolen bakkie used to carry out the heist Mabuza testified that in the early morning hours of November 17 he received a phone call from Mabena, who told him that Ningisa had been shot and asked him to look for a phone number of someone in Durban.After that phone call, and until they met again in Cape Town, he had not seen Mabena again in Windhoek, Mabuza said.On the Monday, though, Mabena and the other three accused arrived in Camps Bay, Mabuza added.This contradicts evidence from Oaeb, Similo and Haipinge, who told the court that they arrived on the Tuesday.The three suspects also denied any knowledge of the money claimed to have been found in the house.According to Mabuza, though, he went into a garage where one of the vehicles that the four had arrived in was parked.That was still on the Monday.”When I got to th
e garage, I found stacks and stacks of money, and the panels of the doors were removed,” he stated.The money came from a Volkswagen Golf, he said.This vehicle is alleged to have belonged to Oaeb.Mabena and another person who had been at the house were taking the money out of the doors, while Oaeb, Similo and Haipinge were standing by, “smoking and chatting”, the court heard.The money consisted of Namibian 50-dollar notes, Mabuza added.When the Police raided the house two days later, they found the money in a bag belonging to Mabena, Mabuza said.Mabena also directed him [Mabuza] to a place under a pillow where the key with which the bag could be unlocked was hidden, Mabuza testified.He is set to testify under cross-examination when the trial continues.Mabuza is the second last of the eight suspects who remain charged before Judge Silungwe to testify in his own defence.Only Mabena still has to give evidence.Their case is scheduled to return to court today.All the accused are in custody.