Man jailed for 15 years for ‘pumpkin murder’

ONE evening two years ago, Bert Kashunda, a resident of the Kavango Region, arrived home after an outing that had been spent drinking.

He was hungry, and asked his mother for food. She offered him some cooked pumpkin.He wanted rice.So he beat her to death.This was the tale that unfolded before Magistrate Bongani Ndlovu two weeks ago when Kashunda went on trial in the Katima Mulilo Regional Court on charges of murder and assault.Kashunda’s trial started with him pleading guilty to both charges.The trial ended a day later with him being sentenced to an effective 15 years’ imprisonment.The court heard that on the evening of March 17 2005, Kashunda returned to his home at Mushashani, a village in the Bagani area of the Kavango Region, after having been out for a round of drinking.His mother, Diyeve Ngewe Kahe Mushashani, had been out with him.She was in the region of 80 years old, the court was told.After they had arrived home, Kashunda wanted to have something to eat.According to Kashunda, the food that his mother was supposed to have kept for him was not there.He told the court that he wanted to have some rice, and that an argument broke out over this issue.According to the Police investigation, however, it was alleged that Kashunda’s mother had offered him some cooked pumpkin.He however wanted to have rice, so an argument broke out, and the table was set for a chain of events that ended in Kashunda’s mother bleeding to death after a beating at her own son’s hands.The court heard that during the argument, Kashunda grabbed some sticks and beat his mother twice.She fell to the ground, and he then took a thicker stick and beat the old woman once more.He also hit a seven-year-old girl who was at the scene, sending her fleeing for safety.The beating that Kashunda’s mother suffered ruptured her spleen and also some of the arteries in her stomach, the court was told.She bled to death as a result.For the murder that claimed his mother’s life, Kashunda was sentenced to a 15-year prison term.For assaulting the girl, he was sentenced to a concurrent jail term of two years.Kashunda was not legally represented during his trial.Public Prosecutor Pieter Smit represented the State.She offered him some cooked pumpkin.He wanted rice.So he beat her to death.This was the tale that unfolded before Magistrate Bongani Ndlovu two weeks ago when Kashunda went on trial in the Katima Mulilo Regional Court on charges of murder and assault.Kashunda’s trial started with him pleading guilty to both charges.The trial ended a day later with him being sentenced to an effective 15 years’ imprisonment.The court heard that on the evening of March 17 2005, Kashunda returned to his home at Mushashani, a village in the Bagani area of the Kavango Region, after having been out for a round of drinking.His mother, Diyeve Ngewe Kahe Mushashani, had been out with him.She was in the region of 80 years old, the court was told.After they had arrived home, Kashunda wanted to have something to eat.According to Kashunda, the food that his mother was supposed to have kept for him was not there.He told the court that he wanted to have some rice, and that an argument broke out over this issue. According to the Police investigation, however, it was alleged that Kashunda’s mother had offered him some cooked pumpkin.He however wanted to have rice, so an argument broke out, and the table was set for a chain of events that ended in Kashunda’s mother bleeding to death after a beating at her own son’s hands.The court heard that during the argument, Kashunda grabbed some sticks and beat his mother twice.She fell to the ground, and he then took a thicker stick and beat the old woman once more.He also hit a seven-year-old girl who was at the scene, sending her fleeing for safety.The beating that Kashunda’s mother suffered ruptured her spleen and also some of the arteries in her stomach, the court was told.She bled to death as a result.For the murder that claimed his mother’s life, Kashunda was sentenced to a 15-year prison term.For assaulting the girl, he was sentenced to a concurrent jail term of two years.Kashunda was not legally represented during his trial.Public Prosecutor Pieter Smit represented the State.