Second treason trial set for March 2005

A SECOND Caprivi high treason trial is set to start in the High Court in Windhoek in March.

The first phase of the trial, involving 12 alleged separatists accused of plotting to secede the Caprivi Region, is set to start on March 1 2005 and to run until March 31 2005. The second phase is scheduled to begin on May 16 and is expected to run until July 29 2005.This was agreed between prosecution and defence lawyers at a pre-trial hearing in the High Court in Windhoek for the fixing of the trial date on Tuesday last week.Legal Aid Directorate counsel Patience Daringo, who appeared for the suspects, told Judge President Peter Shivute that all 12 would plead not guilty when the trial starts.She added that the Legal Aid Directorate was arranging for the appointment of the defence lawyers who would represent the alleged separatists.One of the 12, Manekelo Manuel Makendano, also addressed the court during the pre-trial proceedings.He complained bitterly about the delay of the trial and its separation from that of another 120 suspected secessionists, whose trial is currently under way in the High Court at Grootfontein.Most of the 12 were arrested during 2002 and in December last year in connection with an alleged plot to overthrow the State’s authority and to establish a separate state in the Caprivi Region.They were all arrested after the Botswana authorities had handed them over to their Namibian counterparts.It is alleged that they were active in a secessionist movement in the Caprivi Region for years after suspected separatists attacked Government-related targets at Katima Mulilo on August 2 1999.The group has been ordered to remain in Police custody, pending the start of their trial in March.- NampaThe second phase is scheduled to begin on May 16 and is expected to run until July 29 2005.This was agreed between prosecution and defence lawyers at a pre-trial hearing in the High Court in Windhoek for the fixing of the trial date on Tuesday last week.Legal Aid Directorate counsel Patience Daringo, who appeared for the suspects, told Judge President Peter Shivute that all 12 would plead not guilty when the trial starts.She added that the Legal Aid Directorate was arranging for the appointment of the defence lawyers who would represent the alleged separatists.One of the 12, Manekelo Manuel Makendano, also addressed the court during the pre-trial proceedings.He complained bitterly about the delay of the trial and its separation from that of another 120 suspected secessionists, whose trial is currently under way in the High Court at Grootfontein.Most of the 12 were arrested during 2002 and in December last year in connection with an alleged plot to overthrow the State’s authority and to establish a separate state in the Caprivi Region.They were all arrested after the Botswana authorities had handed them over to their Namibian counterparts.It is alleged that they were active in a secessionist movement in the Caprivi Region for years after suspected separatists attacked Government-related targets at Katima Mulilo on August 2 1999.The group has been ordered to remain in Police custody, pending the start of their trial in March.- Nampa