Teen killer gets 15 years

THE Outapi Regional Court has sentenced a man to 15 years in prison for murdering a Himba girl because she wore modern clothes, not traditional attire, to school.

Three years of the sentence were suspended for five years. Vaarakana Muundjwa from Omitjokakane village near Ruacana was convicted of fatally beating Poketeki Tjindunda (14) with sticks on February 20 last year.The case was also heard in the traditional court at the village.Muundjwa was ordered to pay the victim’s family 90 head of cattle.The Outapi Regional Court heard that Muundjwa, who is related to the victim, was enraged when he heard that she was not wearing her traditional attire when she went to school.She had enrolled at the Otjimukaka Mobile School shortly before the murder, in response to a campaign by teachers to get all children in the area into the education system.On February 20 2003, Muundjwa, accompanied by a friend, Mukavango Tjaore, went to the school to investigate reports that the girl was not wearing her traditional Himba dress.He found her in civilian clothes.He tied the child’s arms together and forced her to walk home.Along the way, he cut a branch from a mopane tree and beat her all over her body.Tjaore testified in court that Muundjwa broke five mopane branches on the girl, cutting a new one each time and beating her continuously until she collapsed and died.He testified that Tjindunda had pleaded with Muundjwa to let her rest and drink some water, but he had refused.Dr Jury Vasin, who conducted the post-mortem, testified that Tjindunda had died of head injuries.Bruises and abrasions on her neck were clearly visible on photographs submitted to the court.Muundjwa did not deny the charges, but said he had not realised that she would die of the beating.Magistrate Noa rejected this, saying that the crime was “horrifying”.”The deceased died a most painful and brutal death.You repeatedly beat her for a long time before she eventually succumbed to death,” the Magistrate said when he sentenced Muundjwa.He pointed out that the victim was an innocent young girl whom Muundjwa was supposed to give care, love and comfort as a guardian.The Magistrate also took into account that Muundjwa was a first-time offender that he had shown remorse and had compensated the victim’s family by paying them 90 head of cattle.Vaarakana Muundjwa from Omitjokakane village near Ruacana was convicted of fatally beating Poketeki Tjindunda (14) with sticks on February 20 last year.The case was also heard in the traditional court at the village.Muundjwa was ordered to pay the victim’s family 90 head of cattle.The Outapi Regional Court heard that Muundjwa, who is related to the victim, was enraged when he heard that she was not wearing her traditional attire when she went to school.She had enrolled at the Otjimukaka Mobile School shortly before the murder, in response to a campaign by teachers to get all children in the area into the education system.On February 20 2003, Muundjwa, accompanied by a friend, Mukavango Tjaore, went to the school to investigate reports that the girl was not wearing her traditional Himba dress.He found her in civilian clothes.He tied the child’s arms together and forced her to walk home.Along the way, he cut a branch from a mopane tree and beat her all over her body.Tjaore testified in court that Muundjwa broke five mopane branches on the girl, cutting a new one each time and beating her continuously until she collapsed and died.He testified that Tjindunda had pleaded with Muundjwa to let her rest and drink some water, but he had refused.Dr Jury Vasin, who conducted the post-mortem, testified that Tjindunda had died of head injuries.Bruises and abrasions on her neck were clearly visible on photographs submitted to the court.Muundjwa did not deny the charges, but said he had not realised that she would die of the beating.Magistrate Noa rejected this, saying that the crime was “horrifying”.”The deceased died a most painful and brutal death.You repeatedly beat her for a long time before she eventually succumbed to death,” the Magistrate said when he sentenced Muundjwa.He pointed out that the victim was an innocent young girl whom Muundjwa was supposed to give care, love and comfort as a guardian.The Magistrate also took into account that Muundjwa was a first-time offender that he had shown remorse and had compensated the victim’s family by paying them 90 head of cattle.