Guilty plea rejected in Swakop rape trial

ONE of three men charged with brutally raping and murdering a woman at Swakopmund six months ago pleaded guilty in the Swakopmund Magistrate’s Court last week, but put the blame squarely on his co-accused.

Michael Tsowaseb (31) pleaded guilty to raping and killing Menesia Owases on the night of September 3 2005. Her mutilated corpse was found early the next morning on an open piece of land between Swakopmund’s Tamariskia and Jabulani townships.Tsowaseb and Kinsley Dausab (32) were arrested on February 12, joining another suspect, Elton Naubeb, in Police custody.Tsowaseb claimed that Dausab killed Owases by breaking her neck after they had visited a shebeen, a nearby house and a nightclub.According to Tsowaseb, he intended to rape Owases, but after undressing himself and the woman, he realised that she was dead.Dausab allegedly told him then that they should destroy the evidence.Tsowaseb claimed that Dausab went on to hit the woman in the face with a rock before inserting a bottle into her vagina and hitting her private parts with a rock.Dausab then moved the body a few metres from where he allegedly killed her, Tsowaseb said.Magistrate Gibson Imbili did not accept Tsowaseb’s guilty plea and entered one of not guilty on his behalf.All three men remain in custody until their next appearance on April 24.Her mutilated corpse was found early the next morning on an open piece of land between Swakopmund’s Tamariskia and Jabulani townships.Tsowaseb and Kinsley Dausab (32) were arrested on February 12, joining another suspect, Elton Naubeb, in Police custody.Tsowaseb claimed that Dausab killed Owases by breaking her neck after they had visited a shebeen, a nearby house and a nightclub.According to Tsowaseb, he intended to rape Owases, but after undressing himself and the woman, he realised that she was dead.Dausab allegedly told him then that they should destroy the evidence.Tsowaseb claimed that Dausab went on to hit the woman in the face with a rock before inserting a bottle into her vagina and hitting her private parts with a rock.Dausab then moved the body a few metres from where he allegedly killed her, Tsowaseb said.Magistrate Gibson Imbili did not accept Tsowaseb’s guilty plea and entered one of not guilty on his behalf.All three men remain in custody until their next appearance on April 24.