“Brutal and inhuman, and for no reason at all.”
This was the description judge Claudia Claasen gave in the Windhoek High Court on Tuesday of the murder of a two-year-old boy who was killed by his father at Otavi two years ago.
Claasen said this during the sentencing of Thomas Muronga (30), who admitted guilt on a charge of murder, read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act, and counts of assault by threat and assault on a member of the Namibian Police two weeks ago.
Muronga admitted that he murdered his son, Jason Muronga (2), at Otavi on 25 August 2023 by taking the boy by his legs and smashing his head against a concrete pillar.
He committed the murder after he had a disagreement with Jason’s mother, Muronga informed the court in a plea statement.
The assault by threat was committed when Muronga threatened Jason’s mother with a knife, while the assault on a police officer took place when the officer was cut by a knife while body-searching Muronga on his arrest.
Claasen recounted during the sentencing that Jason’s mother, Julien Gamibes, told the court she had ended a relationship of about five years with Muronga about a month before he killed their son.
Gamibes said Jason loved his father and Muronga loved his son and treated him well before the fatal incident took place.
Gamibes also told the court that Muronga spoke to her after the murder and apologised for his actions, and that she has forgiven him.
Murder is one of the most serious crimes that can be committed in Namibia, and it is aggravating when it is committed by a parent against a child, Claasen said.
The values of society are diminished when a parent, who should be a protector of a child, murders that child, she said as well.
Jason, who suffered fatal head injuries, was clearly defenceless against his father, Claasen remarked.
She commented: “Needless to say, [Muronga’s] actions were brutal and inhuman, and for no reason at all.”
Claasen said she had found that Muronga “expressed sincere remorse to the person that matters most – that is, the mother of the child”.
She added: “Mister Muronga has to live with the knowledge that he caused the demise of a child that he dearly loved and cared for.”
Muronga, who has been held in custody since August 2023, was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment on the murder charge and two concurrent jail terms of 18 months on the two counts of assault, leaving him with an effective prison term of 25 years.
Muronga was represented by legal aid lawyer Filemon Vahongaifa.
State advocate Beata Hamunyela represented the prosecution.
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