30-year murder appeal set for May

The Windhoek High Court has scheduled the month of May to hear the appeal application of a 38-year-old man convicted of murdering his former girlfriend over the paternity of their son. Making an appearance in court on Friday, Mateus Sakeus was informed by Judge Herman

January that his application to be granted leave to appeal against his conviction and sentence will be heard on 20 May. January said in the meantime, his State-funded lawyer Susan Nyatondo must sort out various issues pertaining to his case, such as obtaining the transcribed record from the Oshakati High Court. Sakeus is seeking leave from the High Court to approach the Supreme Court, and appeal his conviction and sentence. He argues that another court would arrive at a different conclusion. Sakeus was convicted and subsequently sentenced to 30 years imprisonment by

January in August 2020 in the Oshakati High Court. January convicted him on a charge of murder, read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act, for stabbing his former girlfriend Annalise Tuunane Ndakongele (34) to death on 4 March 2015. Ndakongele was stabbed 28 times with a knife. The incident took place at Oluteyi, a village in the Outapi district of the Omusati region. Sakeus and Ndakongele shared a son. During the trial, he admitted to having inflicted multiple stab wounds on Ndakongele out of anger, and that he was under the influence of alcohol at the time. He further indicated that he became angry after Ndakongele informed him during an argument that the child they shared was not his son. He claimed he became angry and emotional during the argument, and started to hit Ndakongele. He then picked up a knife from a table, and started stabbing her. He further said once he started stabbing Ndakongele, he could not bring himself to stop. Sakeus said after he had left Ndakongele’s house, he thought of taking his own life and tried to cut his own throat.