No swift end to drowning trial

THE High Court trial of an Ohangwena Region resident who has admitted that she murdered her three children a year ago by drowning them in a well is set to continue in Windhoek in mid-September.

The sentencing of Saima Nghiholemote Hangula (30) will have to wait until her trial returns to court on September 17, Judge Louis Muller told Hangula in the High Court at Oshakati yesterday. Hangula, who hails from Eexwa/Ohehonge village in the Ohangwena Region, pleaded guilty to three charges of murder when her trial started before Judge Muller on April 17.Since then, the trial has been postponed several times to give Hangula’s defence counsel, Frieda Kishi, more time to get a pre-sentencing report on Hangula from a social worker.That report was finally submitted to the court yesterday.Kishi has however now also asked the Judge to have a further psychiatric report on Hangula’s mental state compiled before the court proceeds to sentence her.Hangula pleaded guilty to drowning her three children in a well at their village on May 10 last year.The three children were her nine-year-old daughter Emilia Popyeinawa Isai, her four-year-old son Paulus Shonghela and her baby son, Frans Kashivulu Shonghela, who was four months old.Hangula said in her plea explanation that she tried to drown herself too, but did not succeed because the water was too shallow.Hangula told the court that she decided to kill her children because their father abandoned her and the children after she had been diagnosed with a serious illness.”I know I have sinned by taking three innocent lives, but at the time I thought it was better for all of us to go,” Hangula told Judge Muller in a written plea explanation that was handed to the court on April 17.In the report by Josephine Nghiishililwa, a Principal Social Worker in the Eenhana district, which was handed to the court yesterday, the court is informed that Hangula’s mother has described her as “a disciplined and responsible person”.Hangula, who is one of eleven children that were born to her mother, left school after she became pregnant with her first child, and she did not complete her school education after that, Nghiishililwa states in the report.She made a living selling food such as meat, mahangu flour and vetkoek, the social worker states.Hangula admitted to the social worker that she had killed her children “because of anger and frustration”, Nghiishililwa states.Hangula explained that she was angered by her partner because he did not want their relationship to continue, he was not supporting her and their children any more, and he had thrown her out of their house, Nghiishililwa reported.According to Nghiishililwa she was told by Hangula that she had killed the three children by drowning them and that it was unfortunate that she (Hangula) herself could not also die.Hangula felt guilty and showed remorse over her actions, Nghiishililwa reported.She also reported that Johannes Shonghela, who had been Hangula’s partner and the father of the two younger children, had informed her that Hangula had called him before the children were drowned and informed him that she was going to do something that he would be hearing about from the Police report.According to Hangula herself, Nghiishililwa added, she did not think twice when she got angry with Shonghela, but only thought that she was going to kill the three children and kill herself.Hangula remains in Police custody until the case returns to court.Deputy Prosecutor-General Heidi Jacobs is conducting the prosecution.* Additional reporting by Werner MengesHangula, who hails from Eexwa/Ohehonge village in the Ohangwena Region, pleaded guilty to three charges of murder when her trial started before Judge Muller on April 17.Since then, the trial has been postponed several times to give Hangula’s defence counsel, Frieda Kishi, more time to get a pre-sentencing report on Hangula from a social worker.That report was finally submitted to the court yesterday. Kishi has however now also asked the Judge to have a further psychiatric report on Hangula’s mental state compiled before the court proceeds to sentence her.Hangula pleaded guilty to drowning her three children in a well at their village on May 10 last year.The three children were her nine-year-old daughter Emilia Popyeinawa Isai, her four-year-old son Paulus Shonghela and her baby son, Frans Kashivulu Shonghela, who was four months old.Hangula said in her plea explanation that she tried to drown herself too, but did not succeed because the water was too shallow.Hangula told the court that she decided to kill her children because their father abandoned her and the children after she had been diagnosed with a serious illness.”I know I have sinned by taking three innocent lives, but at the time I thought it was better for all of us to go,” Hangula told Judge Muller in a written plea explanation that was handed to the court on April 17.In the report by Josephine Nghiishililwa, a Principal Social Worker in the Eenhana district, which was handed to the court yesterday, the court is informed that Hangula’s mother has described her as “a disciplined and responsible person”.Hangula, who is one of eleven children that were born to her mother, left school after she became pregnant with her first child, and she did not complete her school education after that, Nghiishililwa states in the report.She made a living selling food such as meat, mahangu flour and vetkoek, the social worker states.Hangula admitted to the social worker that she had killed her children “because of anger and frustration”, Nghiishililwa states.Hangula explained that she was angered by her partner because he did not want their relationship to continue, he was not supporting her and their children any more, and he had thrown her out of their house, Nghiishililwa reported.According to Nghiishililwa she was told by Hangula that she had killed the three children by drowning them and that it was unfortunate that she (Hangula) herself could not also die.Hangula felt guilty and showed remorse over her actions, Nghiishililwa reported.She also reported that Johannes Shonghela, who had been Hangula’s partner and the father of the two younger children, had informed her that Hangula had called him before the children were drowned and informed him that she was going to do something that he would be hearing about from the Police report.According to Hangula herself, Nghiishililwa added, she did not think twice when she got angry with Shonghela, but only thought that she was going to kill the three children and kill herself.Hangula remains in Police custody until the case returns to court.Deputy Prosecutor-General Heidi Jacobs is conducting the prosecution.* Additional reporting by Werner Menges