Killer found not guilty due to mental state

A Windhoek resident who killed a man and wounded two women in a shooting incident in February 2015 was declared a president’s patient after he was found not guilty on three charges in the Windhoek High Court yesterday.

Judge Christie Liebenberg found Sakeus Nghifikwa (48) not guilty on a charge of murder and two counts of attempted murder because Nghifikwa had a mental defect or illness when he carried out a fatal shooting in Windhoek on 18 February 2015.

Liebenberg directed that Nghifikwa should be detained in a mental institution or correctional facility until the president authorises his release.

The shooting carried out by Nghifikwa claimed the life of a 38-year-old man, Gebhard Kaulume, while two women were injured when Nghifikwa shot them, too.

The court was informed that Nghifikwa was diagnosed with schizophrenia after he had gone through a period of psychiatric evaluation at the psychiatry department of Windhoek Central Hospital in March and April this year.

A psychiatrist and panel of mental health professionals concluded that Nghifikwa was fit to stand trial, as he could follow and understand court proceedings, but that he had a mental disorder when he carried out the fatal shooting.

At the time, Nghifikwa’s schizophrenia left him incapable of appreciating the wrongfulness of his actions, with the result that he was not accountable, it is stated in a psychiatric evaluation report provided to the court.

In the same report, it is also stated that Nghifikwa had received treatment for mental illness before the incident, and had previously been admitted to the hospital’s psychiatric unit after he had been threatening to shoot and kill people, including his wife and brother.

During his observation period at the psychiatric unit, Nghifikwa recounted that on the day of the shooting he had been carrying out his duties as a taxi driver until he went home in the afternoon. He said after his arrival at home, a man asked him to buy him a traditional brew, which he said he agreed to do.

Nghifikwa added that he did not remember if he bought the traditional brew, and also did not recall that he shot at people, but could remember that he woke up the next morning in a psychiatric ward.

Two state witnesses testified before Liebenberg delivered his verdict yesterday.

One of the witnesses, Ndapandula Shoombe, told the court she was a neighbour of Nghifikwa. She said she heard Kaulume asking Nghifikwa to buy him a serving of traditional brew, and also heard Nghifikwa agreeing to the request.

Shoombe said she saw Kaulume entering the house in which she was, and then heard Nghifikwa saying he was going to kill Kaulume.
She added that Kaulume asked Nghifikwa: “What did I do?”

After that, Shoombe said, she saw Nghifikwa point a firearm at Kaulume’s head, and then heard the sound of a gunshot.
After the shot that killed Kaulume had been fired, Nghifikwa left the house, and proceeded to fire shots at two women outside as well, Shoombe recounted.

One of the women who was shot, Ndeshihafela Tweumona, also testified that Nghifikwa told her he was going to kill her before he shot her in the left shoulder.

Tweumona said she is married to a brother of Nghifikwa, and they were living in the same house at the time of the shooting.

Deputy prosecutor general Antonia Verhoef represented the state during the court proceedings.

Nghifikwa was represented by defence lawyer Tangeni Ausiku.