Kalunga guilty of Valentine's murders
An affair and jealous rage led to the Valentine's Day double murder, the High Court found.
The Oshakati High Court on Friday found Mathias kaShindinge Kalunga (48) guilty of a double murder after he shot his wife and her lover on the eve Valentine's Day in 2013.
Kalunga killed his wife, Selma Imbili (30), and her lover, Matheus Yuye (39), with a 9mm Makarov pistol at Omafo in Ohangwena on 13 February 2103.
Judge Herman Januarie said that Kalunga committed the crime in a rage of jealousy and that he acted with direct intent to kill.
The judge added that the manner in which the two victims were killed, the weapon used, the number of spent cartridges and the placement of the shots, do not justify his testimony about carrying out the acts in self-defence.
“Based on the evidence presented this court finds the accused guilty with murder read with the Domestic Violence Act for the female victim. He is also found guilty for the murder of the male victim,” Januarie said.
The date for submissions for sentencing is 5 February 2019.
According to the post-mortem report, Imbili died as a result of six bullets that struck her, while Yuye was shot twice.
Imbili was a mother of five and worked at a salon at Oshikango at the time of her death, while Yuye was an Angolan businessman.
Kalunga pleaded not guilty.
He maintained he acted in self-defence, after the two tried to kill him by running him over with a vehicle. On 20 February 2013, Kalunga submitted a confession to the lower court in Ohangwena.
He indicated that while he was working in Walvis Bay, a woman whom he identified as Hilya Haifeni, contacted him and informed him about an affair between his wife and Yuye. Haifeni was allegedly also Yuye's lover.
Kalunga said he promised to call and meet Haifeni once he travelled to the north, as he was employed at Tunacor, a Walvis Bay-based fishing company.
“I then promised to call and meet her when I come to Ovamboland,” Kalunga said.
However, on 29 March 2017, Kalunga gave the Oshakati High Court a different version, saying Haifeni was the one who pressured him to meet and had harassed him. When he finally met her in December 2012, Kalunga said Haifeni instructed him to tell his wife to stay away from Yuye.
Despite his confession, Kalunga pleaded not guilty in July 2015 in the High Court.
Court documents show that his lawyer at the time, Grace Mugaviri, indicated to the court on 28 July 2015 that Kalunga wanted to change his plea from self-defence to guilty for both murders.
Two days later Mugaviri informed the court she was withdrawing from the case because her client had continued to change his instructions. Lucius Matota represents the State, while Marcia Amupolo appears for Kalunga.
Kalunga killed his wife, Selma Imbili (30), and her lover, Matheus Yuye (39), with a 9mm Makarov pistol at Omafo in Ohangwena on 13 February 2103.
Judge Herman Januarie said that Kalunga committed the crime in a rage of jealousy and that he acted with direct intent to kill.
The judge added that the manner in which the two victims were killed, the weapon used, the number of spent cartridges and the placement of the shots, do not justify his testimony about carrying out the acts in self-defence.
“Based on the evidence presented this court finds the accused guilty with murder read with the Domestic Violence Act for the female victim. He is also found guilty for the murder of the male victim,” Januarie said.
The date for submissions for sentencing is 5 February 2019.
According to the post-mortem report, Imbili died as a result of six bullets that struck her, while Yuye was shot twice.
Imbili was a mother of five and worked at a salon at Oshikango at the time of her death, while Yuye was an Angolan businessman.
Kalunga pleaded not guilty.
He maintained he acted in self-defence, after the two tried to kill him by running him over with a vehicle. On 20 February 2013, Kalunga submitted a confession to the lower court in Ohangwena.
He indicated that while he was working in Walvis Bay, a woman whom he identified as Hilya Haifeni, contacted him and informed him about an affair between his wife and Yuye. Haifeni was allegedly also Yuye's lover.
Kalunga said he promised to call and meet Haifeni once he travelled to the north, as he was employed at Tunacor, a Walvis Bay-based fishing company.
“I then promised to call and meet her when I come to Ovamboland,” Kalunga said.
However, on 29 March 2017, Kalunga gave the Oshakati High Court a different version, saying Haifeni was the one who pressured him to meet and had harassed him. When he finally met her in December 2012, Kalunga said Haifeni instructed him to tell his wife to stay away from Yuye.
Despite his confession, Kalunga pleaded not guilty in July 2015 in the High Court.
Court documents show that his lawyer at the time, Grace Mugaviri, indicated to the court on 28 July 2015 that Kalunga wanted to change his plea from self-defence to guilty for both murders.
Two days later Mugaviri informed the court she was withdrawing from the case because her client had continued to change his instructions. Lucius Matota represents the State, while Marcia Amupolo appears for Kalunga.
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