Murder accused to get new trial dates
WALVIS BAY – NamPower has invested in a multi-million-dollar substation in the Erongo region to meet the current and future electricity supply in the region.
NamPower last week briefed the media with regards to the ongoing project, the Sekelduin substation, located about 4km from Swakopmund, on the backroad to Walvis Bay.
According to the power utility, the Sekelduin substation is one of the many investments NamPower has made to build, strengthen and maintain the national grid to ensure an efficient, reliable and effective national transmission network.
Speaking at the briefing, chief operating officer of NamPower Fritz Jacobs said Sekelduin is a new 132/66/33kV indoor substation and forms part of the ongoing upgrade of the NamPower bulk electricity supply to Erongo Red.
“This will enable the utility to meet the current and future electricity demands due to socio-economic growth in the region. The substation will become the main transmission supply to the existing NamPower
Swakopmund and Tamariskia substations, the NamWater South bulk water supply scheme feeding the new Husab Uranium Mine, and the Erongo Red 33kV medium voltage reticulation,” Jacobs explained.
According to him, the construction cost of Sekelduin substation building is approximately N$65 million, while the design and construction of the two overhead power lines is estimated at N$60 million.
He added installation and commissioning of all high voltage equipment, power transformers and protection as well as automation and control system equipment are estimated at N$180 million.
Also speaking at the briefing, Erongo Red CEO Fessor Mbango said they are delighted to see the progress, as the substation is of utmost importance for the regional power distributor.
“It will assist us in meeting the current and future demands as our economy grows, especially with the provision of electricity in Swakopmund and Walvis Bay”, he said. The substation is expected to be completed by January next year, while the two parallel lines will be completed in February 2024.
A young woman, accused of killing her 70-yearold lover by stabbing him multiple times with a kitchen knife, will get new dates for her trial hearing. Magistrate Mehluli Nyazo postponed the case of Victoria Gorases (25) to 23 May for allocation of new trial dates and to allow Gorases’ new lawyer Mbanga Siyomunji to obtain disclosure and consult her.
The court noted there was an application to challenge the findings of the psychiatric evaluation.
“The matter is remanded to 23 May for fixing of the trial date and also to give Mr Siyomunji enough time to consult his client and decide whether they are going to challenge the report,” said Nyazo.
Earlier this year, Gorases, with the assistance of her previous lawyer Tuna Nhinda, filed an application disputing the findings of a second psychiatric report, which concluded Gorases is mentally fit and capable of understanding court proceedings.
Gorases was firstly evaluated in June 2018, with Dr Lahja Hamunyela, a psychiatrist at Windhoek Central Hospital, concluding although Gorases suffers from bipolar type one disorder and is on medication, she is mentally fit to be tried for her alleged crime.
Hamunyela also indicated Gorases was able to recount past events and did not show any signs of speech coherent or any signs of pathology. We did not even observe any abnormalities. She is facing a charge of murder for the death of her boyfriend Sakava Nathame, who died on 25 February 2018 from multiple stab wounds inflicted all over his body.
Despite denying guilt, in her psychiatric sessions, she informed Hamunyela that on the date in question, she and the victim had an argument.
The victim was allegedly accusing Gorases of being unfaithful in the relationship.
The argument allegedly got heated, and Gorases grabbed the knife and stabbed the victim multiple times with it.
Gorases allegedly recalled their son found her on top of the victim.
She has been in custody since her arrest on that day.
- mamakali@nepc.com.na