A 31-year-old man found guilty of murdering a Namibian Defence Force member in the Zambezi region was sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment when his trial ended in the Katima Mulilo Regional Court on Friday.
On 6 November 2019, around 21h00, Maswani Martin Sezuni fatally stabbed Protetius Mbuti Shidute (29) in the neck with a knife at a bar the deceased owned in the Choto compound at Katima Mulilo.
It is alleged that Sezuni, who was employed as a barber by Shidute, demanded money the deceased owed him, which led to a physical fight and the stabbing of the deceased.
Sezuni was arrested the same night and has been in custody since.
Shidute was stationed at Greenwell Matongo Military Barracks, about 20 kilometres outside Katima Mulilo.
During his sentencing remarks, regional court magistrate Barry Mufana noted that what was aggravating in the findings of the case was the fact that Sezuni armed himself with a knife and stabbed the deceased in the neck.
According to Mufana, as if stabbing him in the neck was not enough, Sezuni pursued the deceased as he ran away from him until he fell down and shouted that people must leave him to die like a dog.
Mufana further said Sezuni showed no remorse during his trial, and his apology only came after he was found guilty in attempts to persuade the court to be lenient in his prison term.
The court cannot ignore the tears of the mother of the deceased when she testified during the trial, Mufana said.
Mufana then informed Sezuni of his right to appeal both the judgement and sentence within the legally prescribed timeframe.
In mitigation, Sezuni told the court that he was the breadwinner for his five-year-old child and his elderly father.
The state prosecutor in the matter was Bronah Mukoya, while public defence lawyer Mowa Chaka represented Sezuni.
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