Woman recounts shock of beach murder

THE last moments in the life of murdered Swakopmund goldsmith Alexandra Mooren were relived in the High Court in Windhoek on Friday by an eyewitness who saw Mooren being robbed and shot dead.

Doris Ackermann played a crucial part in helping the Police arrest the suspect accused of murdering Mooren (44). Mooren was killed on the morning of August 13 2004 as she walked along the beach between Swakopmund’s old iron jetty and the town’s Mole swimming beach area.On Friday, Ackermann took her place in the witness box before Acting Judge Collins Parker to become the fifth State witness to testify in the trial of the alleged killer, Naftalie Kondja (28), and two alleged accomplices, Matti Kamati (37) and Temus Shiwalo (33).The three suspects’ trial started on Thursday with both Kamati and Shiwalo pleading not guilty to charges of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and theft.Kondja, however, admitted that he killed Mooren by shooting her with a stolen firearm, admitted that he had robbed her of her handbag, and admitted that he had illegally possessed the stolen .22 revolver with which she was shot.State advocate Sandra Miller refused to accept part of his pleas, though, and told the court that the prosecution would set out to prove that Kondja intended to kill Mooren – something that Kondja stopped short of admitting – when he shot her.Ackermann told the court that she was in the habit of going running along the beach a few times a week.On the morning of August 13 2004, she found herself on the beach just north of the jetty.She said that ahead of her on the beach she suddenly saw a woman who was carrying a big bag over her left shoulder.This was Mooren, she would later find out.”Suddenly – it happened very quickly – suddenly I saw she turned and a chap was standing right in front of her,” Ackermann said.”He was very close.He was right in front of her.”She could see that the man was quite tall, and that he was wearing a red cap, she said.This cap would soon lead to Kondja’s arrest about 1,3 kilometres from the scene of the shooting.”The woman there turned to this man, and he was suddenly standing in front of her,” Ackerman continued.”I never saw him coming or anything.I just saw him standing so close in front of her,” she related, indicating that the space between Mooren and the man was only about 10 to 15 centimetres.”It was very peculiar,” Ackermann added.”She was standing very still.”She said at that moment she was thinking to herself that it was a risk for the woman to have such a big bag with her on the beach.”I thought she was stupid, you know,” she recounted.As it turned out, there was little of value to any robbers in Mooren’s handbag.Apart from some personal items, it contained only a bunch of keys to her house and to locks in the jeweller shop where she worked.”That moment – I was running towards them – I saw him lifting his arm, and as he lifted his arm, I was rushing to them because I wanted to help her,” Ackermann recalled the events.”That moment, as he lifted the arm, I heard ‘dip’, ‘dip, ‘dip’.I heard it three times.I hadn’t heard a shot before.”Then I knew this was real, and I really got a fright.As those three shots went [off] I turned and I still looked over my shoulder because then I got scared.”I saw the woman went down like this,” Ackermann continued, indicating that Mooren crumpled straight down to the sand.”The man ran away with the bag,” she added.She estimated that she was about 35 to 40 metres away from them.She turned around and ran back in the direction of the Strand Hotel, Ackermann said.She met a man on the way and told him that a woman had been shot on the beach, before she ran on to the hotel at the Mole, where she asked a receptionist to summon the Police and an ambulance, she testified.Ackermann’s presence at the scene helped the Police make a quick arrest less than an hour after the shooting, the court heard on the first day of the trial.She described the clothing that the gunman had been wearing to the Police, and an order was sent out for Police officers at the town to be on the lookout for anyone fitting the description.Soon, a taxi carrying a man wearing a red cap was stopped near the Shoprite shopping complex about 1,3 km from the beach where Mooren had been shot.Acting Judge Parker heard that when this man – it turned out to be Kondja – was searched, a .22 revolver, still holding three spent cartridges and six live rounds, was found in his possession.This gun had been stolen during a break-in into a car at the town the previous day.Ballistic tests later showed that the bullet that killed Mooren had been fired from the same gun.On the same day still, Kondja made a statement to a Magistrate at Walvis Bay in which he admitted that he had robbed and shot Mooren, and claimed that Shiwalo, Kamati and another person had been involved.He however claimed he shot her twice when she tried to run away in the direction of an approaching jogger, after he had ordered her to stand still.Ackermann disputed this version of events.”The woman did not move.She stood like this,” she said, demonstrating that Mooren had stood absolutely still and straight, her hands by her side.”I don’t know what happened between them – I was too far – but she didn’t move, and he did this” – lifting an arm – “and it happened,” she told the court.The trial continues today.Mooren was killed on the morning of August 13 2004 as she walked along the beach between Swakopmund’s old iron jetty and the town’s Mole swimming beach area.On Friday, Ackermann took her place in the witness box before Acting Judge Collins Parker to become the fifth State witness to testify in the trial of the alleged killer, Naftalie Kondja (28), and two alleged accomplices, Matti Kamati (37) and Temus Shiwalo (33).The three suspects’ trial started on Thursday with both Kamati and Shiwalo pleading not guilty to charges of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and theft.Kondja, however, admitted that he killed Mooren by shooting her with a stolen firearm, admitted that he had robbed her of her handbag, and admitted that he had illegally possessed the stolen .22 revolver with which she was shot.State advocate Sandra Miller refused to accept part of his pleas, though, and told the court that the prosecution would set out to prove that Kondja intended to kill Mooren – something that Kondja stopped short of admitting – when he shot her.Ackermann told the court that she was in the habit of going running along the beach a few times a week.On the morning of August 13 2004, she found herself on the beach just north of the jetty.She said that ahead of her on the beach she suddenly saw a woman who was carrying a big bag over her left shoulder.This was Mooren, she would later find out.”Suddenly – it happened very quickly – suddenly I saw she turned and a chap was standing right in front of her,” Ackermann said.”He was very close.He was right in front of her.”She could see that the man was quite tall, and that he was wearing a red cap, she said.This cap would soon lead to Kondja’s arrest about 1,3 kilometres from the scene of the shooting.”The woman there turned to this man, and he was suddenly standing in front of her,” Ackerman continued.”I never saw him coming or anything.I just saw him standing so close in front of her,” she related, indicating that the space between Mooren and the man was only about 10 to 15 centimetres.”It was very peculiar,” Ackermann added.”She was standing very still.”She said at that moment she was thinking to herself that it was a risk for the woman to have such a big bag with her on the beach.”I thought she was stupid, you know,” she recounted.As it turned out, there was little of value to any robbers in Mooren’s handbag.Apart from some personal items, it contained only a bunch of keys to her house and to locks in the jeweller shop where she worked.”That moment – I was running towards them – I saw him lifting his arm, and as he lifted his arm, I was rushing to them because I wanted to help her,” Ackermann recalled the events.”That moment, as he lifted the arm, I heard ‘dip’, ‘dip, ‘dip’.I heard it
three times.I hadn’t heard a shot before.”Then I knew this was real, and I really got a fright.As those three shots went [off] I turned and I still looked over my shoulder because then I got scared.”I saw the woman went down like this,” Ackermann continued, indicating that Mooren crumpled straight down to the sand.”The man ran away with the bag,” she added.She estimated that she was about 35 to 40 metres away from them.She turned around and ran back in the direction of the Strand Hotel, Ackermann said.She met a man on the way and told him that a woman had been shot on the beach, before she ran on to the hotel at the Mole, where she asked a receptionist to summon the Police and an ambulance, she testified.Ackermann’s presence at the scene helped the Police make a quick arrest less than an hour after the shooting, the court heard on the first day of the trial.She described the clothing that the gunman had been wearing to the Police, and an order was sent out for Police officers at the town to be on the lookout for anyone fitting the description.Soon, a taxi carrying a man wearing a red cap was stopped near the Shoprite shopping complex about 1,3 km from the beach where Mooren had been shot.Acting Judge Parker heard that when this man – it turned out to be Kondja – was searched, a .22 revolver, still holding three spent cartridges and six live rounds, was found in his possession.This gun had been stolen during a break-in into a car at the town the previous day.Ballistic tests later showed that the bullet that killed Mooren had been fired from the same gun.On the same day still, Kondja made a statement to a Magistrate at Walvis Bay in which he admitted that he had robbed and shot Mooren, and claimed that Shiwalo, Kamati and another person had been involved.He however claimed he shot her twice when she tried to run away in the direction of an approaching jogger, after he had ordered her to stand still.Ackermann disputed this version of events.”The woman did not move.She stood like this,” she said, demonstrating that Mooren had stood absolutely still and straight, her hands by her side.”I don’t know what happened between them – I was too far – but she didn’t move, and he did this” – lifting an arm – “and it happened,” she told the court.The trial continues today.