No lawyer, no bail bid for matricide suspect

AN INTENDED bail application by murder suspect Natangwe Iipinge Ngatjizeko, who is accused of stabbing his mother to death in Windhoek in mid-December last year, failed to get under way as planned in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court in Katutura this week.

Ngatjizeko (27) on Wednesday made his fourth court appearance since his arrest on December 18 last year, which was a day after his mother, Fenny Iipinge, was found stabbed to death in her home in Katutura’s Shandumbala area. Iipinge (58) was a former personal assistant to former President Sam Nujoma’s wife, Kovambo Nujoma.Ngatjizeko was born from a relationship that Iipinge had with the current Minister of Trade and Industry, Immanuel Ngatjizeko.Iipinge was found lying dead in a pool of blood in her house on December 17, reportedly also with burn wounds believed to have been caused by hot water.She was found after a neighbour had heard screaming coming from the house.The neighbour also claimed to have seen Ngatjizeko leaving the house after the screaming had died down, it was reported at the time of the incident.When Ngatjizeko was arrested in Windhoek a day after the incident, he had serious burns and cuts to his hands, the Police claimed at the time.These necessitated hospitalisation and an operation before Ngatjizeko could make a first appearance in court on a charge of murder.With this week’s court appearance, Ngatjizeko had been set to launch a formal bail application and to give his preliminary plea to the murder charge.This did not happen as planned, though, after Magistrate Claudia Claasen explained to him that he was facing a serious charge, that he had a right to be legally represented both when he pleads and when he applies for bail, and that he would have only one chance to formally apply for bail in the Magistrate’s Court.Ngatjizeko initially indicated to the Magistrate that he wanted to proceed with a bail application without legal representation.After hearing her explanation, he however told her that he would rather wait until he has received an answer from the Directorate of Legal Aid on his applications to be provided with legal representation.Ngatjizeko told the Magistrate that he had submitted three applications for legal aid to the Directorate, but has still not received any reply.Magistrate Claasen’s advice was that Ngatjizeko or his relatives should contact the Directorate on a regular basis to enquire about the outcome of his application.Ngatjizeko is remaining in custody in the meantime.His case was postponed to August 1.Iipinge (58) was a former personal assistant to former President Sam Nujoma’s wife, Kovambo Nujoma.Ngatjizeko was born from a relationship that Iipinge had with the current Minister of Trade and Industry, Immanuel Ngatjizeko. Iipinge was found lying dead in a pool of blood in her house on December 17, reportedly also with burn wounds believed to have been caused by hot water.She was found after a neighbour had heard screaming coming from the house.The neighbour also claimed to have seen Ngatjizeko leaving the house after the screaming had died down, it was reported at the time of the incident.When Ngatjizeko was arrested in Windhoek a day after the incident, he had serious burns and cuts to his hands, the Police claimed at the time.These necessitated hospitalisation and an operation before Ngatjizeko could make a first appearance in court on a charge of murder.With this week’s court appearance, Ngatjizeko had been set to launch a formal bail application and to give his preliminary plea to the murder charge.This did not happen as planned, though, after Magistrate Claudia Claasen explained to him that he was facing a serious charge, that he had a right to be legally represented both when he pleads and when he applies for bail, and that he would have only one chance to formally apply for bail in the Magistrate’s Court.Ngatjizeko initially indicated to the Magistrate that he wanted to proceed with a bail application without legal representation.After hearing her explanation, he however told her that he would rather wait until he has received an answer from the Directorate of Legal Aid on his applications to be provided with legal representation.Ngatjizeko told the Magistrate that he had submitted three applications for legal aid to the Directorate, but has still not received any reply.Magistrate Claasen’s advice was that Ngatjizeko or his relatives should contact the Directorate on a regular basis to enquire about the outcome of his application.Ngatjizeko is remaining in custody in the meantime.His case was postponed to August 1.