Judgement days dawn – finally – in first Brakwater heist trial

THE eight men remaining in the dock in the High Court on charges that they were involved in a multi-million dollar cash-in-transit heist at Brakwater near Windhoek more than five years ago finally started hearing the court’s judgement yesterday.

The eight were however still left in suspense over their fate after Acting Judge Annel Silungwe had started to deliver his verdict in their trial, with the Judge set to continue giving his judgement today. By the time that he adjourned the court after some two hours of reading his verdict, Acting Judge Silungwe was still summarising the testimony that was heard during the drawn-out trial, having already recited the details of the charges that the eight men face.These are two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, alternatively theft, and a further two counts of illegal possession of a machine gun and ammunition.On the first charge, the eight are accused of stealing a Nissan bakkie from someone in Windhoek during an armed hold-up on the evening of November 16 2000.At around 02h00 the next morning, it was further alleged, they used this vehicle to force a cash-transporting vehicle belonging to a security company off the road in the Brakwater area near Windhoek.The vehicle was transporting money that was meant to be delivered to a bank at Ondangwa.A gang of robbers stole N$5,3 million from the vehicle.At the time, it was the largest single amount ever stolen in an armed robbery in Namibia.That record has since been surpassed with a second cash-in-transit heist in the Brakwater area on December 29 2004, in which some N$5,76 million was stolen.The eight suspects are Macdonald Kambonde, who was the driver of the cash-in-transit vehicle, Hendrick Tsibande, South African citizens Hyacinth James Ningisa, who is alleged to have been shot and wounded during the robbery, Mike Sandile Mabena and Vincent Mabuza, and Namibians Arvo Natangwe Haipinge, Ismael Oaeb and Brandon Similo.All of them denied guilt on all the charges.Another three suspects originally went on trial with them, but have been discharged from the case in the meantime.The trial started on October 28 2002.Acting Judge Silungwe heard final legal arguments on the verdict in July last year.All eight accused men have remained in Police custody throughout the trial.By the time that he adjourned the court after some two hours of reading his verdict, Acting Judge Silungwe was still summarising the testimony that was heard during the drawn-out trial, having already recited the details of the charges that the eight men face.These are two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, alternatively theft, and a further two counts of illegal possession of a machine gun and ammunition.On the first charge, the eight are accused of stealing a Nissan bakkie from someone in Windhoek during an armed hold-up on the evening of November 16 2000.At around 02h00 the next morning, it was further alleged, they used this vehicle to force a cash-transporting vehicle belonging to a security company off the road in the Brakwater area near Windhoek.The vehicle was transporting money that was meant to be delivered to a bank at Ondangwa.A gang of robbers stole N$5,3 million from the vehicle.At the time, it was the largest single amount ever stolen in an armed robbery in Namibia.That record has since been surpassed with a second cash-in-transit heist in the Brakwater area on December 29 2004, in which some N$5,76 million was stolen.The eight suspects are Macdonald Kambonde, who was the driver of the cash-in-transit vehicle, Hendrick Tsibande, South African citizens Hyacinth James Ningisa, who is alleged to have been shot and wounded during the robbery, Mike Sandile Mabena and Vincent Mabuza, and Namibians Arvo Natangwe Haipinge, Ismael Oaeb and Brandon Similo.All of them denied guilt on all the charges.Another three suspects originally went on trial with them, but have been discharged from the case in the meantime.The trial started on October 28 2002.Acting Judge Silungwe heard final legal arguments on the verdict in July last year.All eight accused men have remained in Police custody throughout the trial.