Magistrate denies bail to ‘one-man crime wave’ suspect

AN Otjozondjupa Region farmer who is alleged to have been responsible for a one-man crime wave and reign of terror in the Tsumkwe and Maroelaboom areas remains in Police custody after he was refused bail by the Grootfontein Magistrate’s Court this week.

Benedictus Tjipetekera (43) faces a slew of charges, including a count of rape, a charge of stock theft, various charges of assault, kidnapping and pointing of a firearm, and a count of defeating the course of justice, with cases pending against him in both the Grootfontein and Tsumkwe Magistrate’s Courts. Some of the charges date back to 2003, but most were registered against him earlier this year.He has remained free either on bail or on a warning from the court on most of the charges against him, until his latest arrest saw him being denied bail on Wednesday this week.Tjipetekera is a communal farmer living in the Tsumkwe area.His stay in that community is not a harmonious one, though, with Tjipetekera having been the target of allegations that he has been waging a reign of fear and terror, especially among San inhabitants of the area.During his bail application before Magistrate André le Roux this week, Tjipetekera denied all the allegations against him, claiming that he was the victim of a malicious campaign of false accusations.The Magistrate still declined the request from Tjipetekera and his lawyer, Kaijata Kangueehi, for him to be released on bail.He is set to hand down the reasons for his ruling today.The State, represented by Public Prosecutor Frieda Matsi, opposed the application for bail.Tjipetekera’s most recent arrest took place on Thursday last week, when he was taken into Police custody on a charge that he had taken part in the rape of a pregnant woman in the Rooidag Gate area – this is on the road between Grootfontein and Tsumkwe – on July 17 this year.It is alleged that he and a co-accused, Frans Gomeb (29), had taken turns pinning the woman down and raping her behind a cuca shop at Rooidag.Among the other charges against him are a collection of kidnapping and common assault charges, as well as a charge of malicious damage to property on which it is alleged that Tjipetekera had destroyed an amputee’s artificial leg by attacking it with a knobkierie, causing N$29 000 worth of damage.Most of the kidnapping and assault charges stem from allegations that Tjipetekera has been rounding up members of the San community in the area where he is farming, accusing them of stealing his livestock and beating them up with the aim of forcing confessions out of them.In one of these alleged incidents, it is claimed, a woman with a baby strapped to her back was beaten up – with the baby also allegedly bearing the brunt of some of the blows directed at its mother.The charge of defeating the course of justice flows from alleged interference by Tjipetekera with witnesses who were set to testify against him on the assault and kidnapping charges.On this score, he is accused of having picked up a group of the witnesses as they were waiting to be taken by the Police to court at Tsumkwe in order to testify against Tjipetekera, and of having tried to persuade them not to give evidence against him.Tjipetekera has to appear in court again on the rape charge on August 25.Another appearance on the other charges is scheduled for September 28.Some of the charges date back to 2003, but most were registered against him earlier this year.He has remained free either on bail or on a warning from the court on most of the charges against him, until his latest arrest saw him being denied bail on Wednesday this week.Tjipetekera is a communal farmer living in the Tsumkwe area.His stay in that community is not a harmonious one, though, with Tjipetekera having been the target of allegations that he has been waging a reign of fear and terror, especially among San inhabitants of the area.During his bail application before Magistrate André le Roux this week, Tjipetekera denied all the allegations against him, claiming that he was the victim of a malicious campaign of false accusations.The Magistrate still declined the request from Tjipetekera and his lawyer, Kaijata Kangueehi, for him to be released on bail.He is set to hand down the reasons for his ruling today.The State, represented by Public Prosecutor Frieda Matsi, opposed the application for bail.Tjipetekera’s most recent arrest took place on Thursday last week, when he was taken into Police custody on a charge that he had taken part in the rape of a pregnant woman in the Rooidag Gate area – this is on the road between Grootfontein and Tsumkwe – on July 17 this year.It is alleged that he and a co-accused, Frans Gomeb (29), had taken turns pinning the woman down and raping her behind a cuca shop at Rooidag.Among the other charges against him are a collection of kidnapping and common assault charges, as well as a charge of malicious damage to property on which it is alleged that Tjipetekera had destroyed an amputee’s artificial leg by attacking it with a knobkierie, causing N$29 000 worth of damage.Most of the kidnapping and assault charges stem from allegations that Tjipetekera has been rounding up members of the San community in the area where he is farming, accusing them of stealing his livestock and beating them up with the aim of forcing confessions out of them.In one of these alleged incidents, it is claimed, a woman with a baby strapped to her back was beaten up – with the baby also allegedly bearing the brunt of some of the blows directed at its mother.The charge of defeating the course of justice flows from alleged interference by Tjipetekera with witnesses who were set to testify against him on the assault and kidnapping charges.On this score, he is accused of having picked up a group of the witnesses as they were waiting to be taken by the Police to court at Tsumkwe in order to testify against Tjipetekera, and of having tried to persuade them not to give evidence against him.Tjipetekera has to appear in court again on the rape charge on August 25.Another appearance on the other charges is scheduled for September 28.