Govt deputy director’s killers sentenced to 20 years
The family of the late Lemmy Mutonga (52), a former deputy director at the ministry of works and transport who was fatally shot in 2019, says while they are satisfied with the court's handling of the case, no amount of jail time can bring back their father, especially considering the tragic circumstances of his death.
Speaking to Namibian Sun, his daughter Felicia Mutonga (30) reflected on the emotional toll her father’s murder has taken on their family.
"It’s easier to cope with the death of someone who was sick because you can mentally prepare yourself. However, dealing with murder brings a unique emotional turmoil. It has had a deeply negative impact on my family's emotional well-being. We've had to sit through therapy sessions, and we're still grieving. However, knowing that we received a certain level of justice brings us closer to finding closure,” she said.
This follows last week’s ruling in the Katima Mulilo Magistrate’s Court, where George Sibalatani (41) and his father Clemens Sibalatani (69) were sentenced to 18 years for the murder of Mutonga. They received an additional two years for possession of an unlicensed firearm, bringing their jail time to 20 years each.
Calyson Sibalatani (32) and Patrick Sibalatani (47) - who are related to George and Clemens - were also sentenced to two years each for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Shot in the face
The violent incident, which occurred on 6 June 2019, was triggered by a land dispute in the Zambezi Region between the Sibalatani family and Mutonga. Mutonga, who had travelled from Windhoek to relocate his cattle, was fatally shot in the face by George during an altercation. The court found Clemens guilty of instructing his son to carry out the shooting.
In his judgment, Magistrate Barry Mufana condemned the accused’s actions, highlighting their lack of remorse throughout the trial.
“It is clear the death of Mutonga means nothing to them,” he said, adding that the deceased was shot in cold blood in an inhumane manner.
The magistrate also criticised Clemens for failing as a parent, noting that he should have advised his son against resorting to violence. The tragic loss of Mutonga, the magistrate said, has left a lasting void not only in his family, but also in the community.
“The void left by the deceased, especially in the lives of his young children, may never be filled,” Mufana added.
Relief
According to Felicia, her family feels a sense of relief after the long legal process. "It's been five long years of court battles to finally get justice. The way the magistrate and state lawyer handled the case was very sensitive, which we, as a family, are truly grateful for. They carefully considered all aspects of how the situation unfolded,” she said.
"As a family, we are also grateful to the state lawyer, who stood by us and fought tirelessly to ensure we received the justice we deserved. It’s been a difficult five years of going in and out of court, enduring harassment from the perpetrators' families, but in the end, we got the justice we sought," Felicia added.
In August 2019, The Namibian reported that Mutonga's family had expressed dissatisfaction with the police investigation into his death.
In a letter to then police chief Sebastian Ndeitunga, the family said they had lost confidence in the investigators in Katima Mulilo, led by Deputy Commissioner Evans Simasiku.
"We have lost trust and confidence in the entire criminal investigation department of the Namibian Police at Katima Mulilo, and we demand that the murder case of Lemmy Mutonga be investigated by officers from another region. The entire investigation team must be removed and investigated," the letter read.
The family highlighted various irregularities, incompetence and negligence in the preservation of evidence during the police investigation.
“The clothes Mutonga wore the day he was shot were not collected by the police for forensic analysis. Instead, the bloodstained clothes were returned to his mother,” the family claimed.
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Speaking to Namibian Sun, his daughter Felicia Mutonga (30) reflected on the emotional toll her father’s murder has taken on their family.
"It’s easier to cope with the death of someone who was sick because you can mentally prepare yourself. However, dealing with murder brings a unique emotional turmoil. It has had a deeply negative impact on my family's emotional well-being. We've had to sit through therapy sessions, and we're still grieving. However, knowing that we received a certain level of justice brings us closer to finding closure,” she said.
This follows last week’s ruling in the Katima Mulilo Magistrate’s Court, where George Sibalatani (41) and his father Clemens Sibalatani (69) were sentenced to 18 years for the murder of Mutonga. They received an additional two years for possession of an unlicensed firearm, bringing their jail time to 20 years each.
Calyson Sibalatani (32) and Patrick Sibalatani (47) - who are related to George and Clemens - were also sentenced to two years each for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Shot in the face
The violent incident, which occurred on 6 June 2019, was triggered by a land dispute in the Zambezi Region between the Sibalatani family and Mutonga. Mutonga, who had travelled from Windhoek to relocate his cattle, was fatally shot in the face by George during an altercation. The court found Clemens guilty of instructing his son to carry out the shooting.
In his judgment, Magistrate Barry Mufana condemned the accused’s actions, highlighting their lack of remorse throughout the trial.
“It is clear the death of Mutonga means nothing to them,” he said, adding that the deceased was shot in cold blood in an inhumane manner.
The magistrate also criticised Clemens for failing as a parent, noting that he should have advised his son against resorting to violence. The tragic loss of Mutonga, the magistrate said, has left a lasting void not only in his family, but also in the community.
“The void left by the deceased, especially in the lives of his young children, may never be filled,” Mufana added.
Relief
According to Felicia, her family feels a sense of relief after the long legal process. "It's been five long years of court battles to finally get justice. The way the magistrate and state lawyer handled the case was very sensitive, which we, as a family, are truly grateful for. They carefully considered all aspects of how the situation unfolded,” she said.
"As a family, we are also grateful to the state lawyer, who stood by us and fought tirelessly to ensure we received the justice we deserved. It’s been a difficult five years of going in and out of court, enduring harassment from the perpetrators' families, but in the end, we got the justice we sought," Felicia added.
In August 2019, The Namibian reported that Mutonga's family had expressed dissatisfaction with the police investigation into his death.
In a letter to then police chief Sebastian Ndeitunga, the family said they had lost confidence in the investigators in Katima Mulilo, led by Deputy Commissioner Evans Simasiku.
"We have lost trust and confidence in the entire criminal investigation department of the Namibian Police at Katima Mulilo, and we demand that the murder case of Lemmy Mutonga be investigated by officers from another region. The entire investigation team must be removed and investigated," the letter read.
The family highlighted various irregularities, incompetence and negligence in the preservation of evidence during the police investigation.
“The clothes Mutonga wore the day he was shot were not collected by the police for forensic analysis. Instead, the bloodstained clothes were returned to his mother,” the family claimed.
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