Double whammy for treason accused Local human rights defence lawyer Norman Tjombe has withdrawn from representing seven men on charges of high treason. The men are Progress Kenyoka Munuma, 46; Manuel Manepelo Makendano, 55; Shine Samulandela Samulandela, 41; Alex Sinjabata Mushakwa, 45; Diamond Samunzala Salufu, 57; Hoster Simasiku Ntombo, 44; and the 40-year-old John Mazila Ntambwe.
They are implicated in a failed attempt to secede the then Caprivi Region (now Zambezi Region) from the rest of Namibia on 2 August 1999.
Tjombe tendered his withdrawal when the seven men made another appearance during a pre-trial conference of case management review before High Court Judge Shafimana Ueitele in Windhoek yesterday morning.
Tjombe, who was representing the seven men on the instructions of the justice ministry’s Directorate of Legal Aid, withdrew from the case due to other official court commitments at his law firm.
The group was informed yesterday to return to the Windhoek High Court on 6 September 2016 in order to allow the Directorate of Legal Aid to appoint and instruct another State-funded defence lawyer to represent them when their high treason trial begins.
The seven men also suffered a legal blow on 22 August when the Supreme Court dismissed their applications in which they were appealing the dismissal of their joint application challenging the Windhoek High Court’s jurisdiction to try them on high treason charges.
Their appeal applications were dismissed by Deputy Chief Justice Petrus Damaseb with Chief Justice Peter Shivute, Judges of Appeals Fred Chomba and David Smuts as well as Acting Judge of Appeals Yvonne Mokgoro concurring with the ruling. However, an appeal application by appellant Boster Mubuyaeta Samuele was successful and he was set free that day.
On 20 July 2015, the Supreme Court granted the eight men leave to appeal the dismissal of their application challenging the High Court’s jurisdiction to try them on high treason charges, shortly after the group sent a successful petition to the Supreme Court.
The seven men remain in police custody at the Windhoek Central Correctional Facility until their next court appearance on 6 September.
State Advocate Neville Wamambo represented the prosecution.
NAMPA