'What if he kills the kids?'

The family of the late Andeline Augustinus Chicalu have appealed against the Rundu Magistrate’s Court decision to grant her alleged killer bail, saying he might go after the deceased’s children as he had threatened to do before.

Christian Kudumo (34) was arrested last August after he allegedly murdered his traditional wife with an axe at Rundu’s Sun City informal settlement.

Chicalu’s (31) lifeless body was discovered in the early hours of 2 August 2022 with a blow to her head.

Magistrate Sonia Sampofu last Tuesday granted Kudumo bail of N$5 000 and remanded the matter to 5 April pending a decision by the prosecutor-general.

Yesterday, the deceased’s cousin Lucas Chicalu told Namibian Sun that, as a family, they were surprised by the court’s decision, accusing the court of not regarding the matter as of a serious nature.

He said prior to the victim’s killing, the suspect threatened to kill his entire family every time he and his wife had an argument.

The couple shared three minor children.

Last Friday, the family lodged and urgent appeal against Kudumo’s bail. On 27 February, the court will decide whether to cancel or uphold its decision.

‘Couldn’t believe my eyes’

“[Last Thursday] I had just gone to the service station and, to my surprise, I saw the suspect’s face on the front page of the Namibian Sun, stating that he was granted bail. I got mad and I did not know what to do or say,” Lucas said.

“I could not believe my eyes as I thought it was a joke.

“I immediately thought of my late cousin’s children because the suspect always threatened to kill his entire family and we don’t know in what state of mind he is in right now.

“What if he decides to complete his mission of killing his children as well as ending his own life? To be honest, as a family we are angry and I believe that for the safety of the children, it’s best he is not granted bail,” he said.

“There are also angry family members and seeing him walking free might result in someone taking the law into their own hands because clearly our justice system is not taking this case seriously.”

According to Lucas, the reason provided by the court why the suspect was granted bail – that he is hearing impaired – is not enough because it will set a bad precedent in the country.

‘She wanted to leave him’

A probe into what triggered the alleged murder found that the couple’s relationship was at the point of collapse, with the victim insistent on ending the marriage.

The couple reportedly often fought about the suspect’s failure to take care of his family, despite receiving both a salary and a government disability grant.

“He is a very jealous person. He killed my cousin because he did not accept that she wanted to leave him and that is why he killed her. What will stop him from going out there, looking for the children and killing them?

“We talk about women and child abuse in this country, yet we are seeing such nonsense coming from our court? Where are the organisations that speak for women and children?” he fumed.

Lucas said on Friday, the suspect “had the audacity” to ask for his bail to be reduced to N$2 000 as he can’t afford to raise the N$5 000.

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