Judge uses murder sentencing to highlight farm safety concerns

PRISON terms of five, 35 and 45 and a half years yesterday marked the end of the latest farm murder trial to have kept the High Court in Windhoek occupied.

The trial concluded before Judge Judge Mavis Gibson with the sentencing of former farmworkers Abraham Araeb (41), Christof Hansen (20) and Joseph Mbukamuna Hindjou (24), who were convicted last month of involvement in the murder of their employer at the farm Mooirivier in the Karibib district on January 12 2002. Judge Gibson used the opportunity to once again voice the High Court’s concerns about violent robberies, often accompanied by murder, with which farmers are often targeted in Namibia.”Farming, from its nature, is a lonely, hard and isolated occupation,” she remarked.”As a result, society expects that those employed in such occupations, to assist and work with the farmers, will be loyal, trustworthy and honest in the execution of their duties.The attribute of honesty and trustworthiness is particularly crucial because in a lot of such cases the farmers are men or women of mature or advanced years who may only put up minimal resistance in the event of an assault perpetrated by a determined individual.”Namibia today is particularly concerned about the high prevalence of attacks against farmers in the country,” she continued.”There is fear that if these attacks continue, this must inevitably affect the country’s economy, and that investors, both local and foreign, will be deterred from undertaking such ventures in the country, thus hindering the development which the country needs.”Such a result necessarily affects the country as a whole because farming provides jobs for a lot of people, and in a lot of cases young people who would otherwise flock into the overburdened urban centres, hardly able to provide enough jobs or housing for such populations.”Towards the end of yesterday’s sentencing she also remarked that the sentences the court was about to impose were calculated to deter not just the three men, but others in similar situations.Judge Gibson added:”The court also would want to emphasise to society that the courts would not sit back and look kindly on brutal actions of this kind that threaten the well-being of the economy of the country.”Araeb was sentenced to 35 years imprisonment for murdering farmer Adolf Walter Paul Karl Heidenreich (58) by clubbing him to death with wooden fencing poles (“droppers”).He was sentenced to a further 10 years’ imprisonment for attempted murder – for attacking Mrs Ursula Emma Getrud Heidenreich with a dropper on January 12 2002.For having robbed the Heidenreichs, Araeb was sentenced to a concurrent 10-year prison term, while he received an additional six months for discharging a .38 special revolver stolen from the couple at Okahandja a day after the attack.Although the Judge had found that Hindjou did not actively participate in the attacks on the couple, he was also convicted of murder, attempted murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances based on a finding that he had associated himself with Araeb’s crimes.Hindjou – who carried a Bible to court with him yesterday – received 25 years for murder, as well as two five-year prison terms for attempted murder and robbery.Hansen was found to have helped Araeb move Mr Heidenreich’s body.He was convicted as an accessory after the fact to the crime of murder, and also of theft of items from the Heidenreichs’ farmhouse.He was sentenced to five years on each count, with the term for theft ordered to run concurrently with his other sentence.Job Kozonguizi prosecuted the trio.Hennie Krueger represented Araeb, Christie Mostert appeared for Hansen, and Sisa Namandje defended Hindjou.Judge Gibson used the opportunity to once again voice the High Court’s concerns about violent robberies, often accompanied by murder, with which farmers are often targeted in Namibia.”Farming, from its nature, is a lonely, hard and isolated occupation,” she remarked.”As a result, society expects that those employed in such occupations, to assist and work with the farmers, will be loyal, trustworthy and honest in the execution of their duties.The attribute of honesty and trustworthiness is particularly crucial because in a lot of such cases the farmers are men or women of mature or advanced years who may only put up minimal resistance in the event of an assault perpetrated by a determined individual.”Namibia today is particularly concerned about the high prevalence of attacks against farmers in the country,” she continued.”There is fear that if these attacks continue, this must inevitably affect the country’s economy, and that investors, both local and foreign, will be deterred from undertaking such ventures in the country, thus hindering the development which the country needs.”Such a result necessarily affects the country as a whole because farming provides jobs for a lot of people, and in a lot of cases young people who would otherwise flock into the overburdened urban centres, hardly able to provide enough jobs or housing for such populations.”Towards the end of yesterday’s sentencing she also remarked that the sentences the court was about to impose were calculated to deter not just the three men, but others in similar situations.Judge Gibson added:”The court also would want to emphasise to society that the courts would not sit back and look kindly on brutal actions of this kind that threaten the well-being of the economy of the country.”Araeb was sentenced to 35 years imprisonment for murdering farmer Adolf Walter Paul Karl Heidenreich (58) by clubbing him to death with wooden fencing poles (“droppers”).He was sentenced to a further 10 years’ imprisonment for attempted murder – for attacking Mrs Ursula Emma Getrud Heidenreich with a dropper on January 12 2002.For having robbed the Heidenreichs, Araeb was sentenced to a concurrent 10-year prison term, while he received an additional six months for discharging a .38 special revolver stolen from the couple at Okahandja a day after the attack.Although the Judge had found that Hindjou did not actively participate in the attacks on the couple, he was also convicted of murder, attempted murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances based on a finding that he had associated himself with Araeb’s crimes.Hindjou – who carried a Bible to court with him yesterday – received 25 years for murder, as well as two five-year prison terms for attempted murder and robbery.Hansen was found to have helped Araeb move Mr Heidenreich’s body.He was convicted as an accessory after the fact to the crime of murder, and also of theft of items from the Heidenreichs’ farmhouse.He was sentenced to five years on each count, with the term for theft ordered to run concurrently with his other sentence.Job Kozonguizi prosecuted the trio.Hennie Krueger represented Araeb, Christie Mostert appeared for Hansen, and Sisa Namandje defended Hindjou.