Shaduka saga endsHands himself over in Ondjiva, Angola After four years on the run, convicted murderer Lazarus Shaduka handed himself over to Namibian authorities in Ondjiva yesterday. JEMIMA BEUKES Namibia’s most prominent fugitive, Lazarus Shaduka, surrendered himself at the Namibian consulate at Ondjiva, Angola, yesterday.
According to Namibian Police Inspector-General Sebastian Ndeitunga, 43-year-old Shaduka went to the consulate “all by himself”.
Shaduka fled Namibia on 13 December 2012, mere hours after a full bench of the Supreme Court convicted him of the murder his wife Selma, 33.
Shaduka, a former chief of property at the City of Windhoek, killed his wife in Windhoek on 13 July 2008 by shooting her in the back. He was arrested on 14 July 2008.
Shaduka spent more than two years in custody in the Windhoek Central Prison’s holding cells, but was released on 23 August 2010 after paying a N$25 000 fine on the day his murder trial ended. The High Court had found him guilty of culpable homicide and sentenced him to one year or a fine of N$25 000.
According to one of the witnesses during his High Court trial, Shaduka arrived at a local hospital with his wife in the car and shouted, “Help me! Help me! My wife shot herself.”
He reportedly told the medical personnel that his wife, who had a gunshot wound in the back of her neck, had tried to commit suicide.
A policeman on the scene testified that he smelled alcohol on Shaduka’s breath and became suspicious.
The Supreme Court on 13 December 2012 overturned Shaduka’s culpable homicide conviction and instead found him guilty of murder. The couple had one daughter who now lives with her maternal grandmother.
Extradition
Local legal expert Nico Horn said Shaduka, who was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment by the Supreme Court, will simply have to return and start serving his jail time. There will be no further charges, in his view.
“The fact that he was sentenced already makes things less complicated. Our government will still have to apply for extradition, and since this is double criminality and the sentence is not outrageous, this may not be a problem,” said Horn.
Horn added that Shaduka is not in a position to refuse extradition and that this is now a matter between Namibia and Angola.
“His only hope is to appeal to the Angolan government not to extradite him, but it is not in his hands,” Horn said.
Horn also added that Shaduka has reached the end of his legal recourse and cannot appeal his conviction, as it was handed down by the Supreme Court.
“I can only imagine that his legal team might ask him to present mitigating circumstances. But my guess is he will just return to the country and start serving his sentence.”
Justice
Belinda Wantenaar, who was the State advocate at the time, said she is happy that justice has finally prevailed.
“I was very relieved when he was convicted; I am sure now the family of the deceased will now find closure,” she said.
During an interview with Namibian Sun in 2014, Shaduka’s mother-in-law, Patemoshela Helena Haitembu, said she would forgive him for murdering her daughter.
Haitembu also expressed anger at the Namibian legal system for giving light sentences.
Remembering Selma
Selma was the eldest of Haitembu’s four children. She said her daughter assisted her at home.
“We understood each other and she gave me good advice.”
She said the family was thrilled on Selma’s wedding day and never expected that the marriage would end with her murder.
“I thought she would go start a home, just like anybody else.”
Asked what her fondest memory of her daughter was, she said: “I will never forget her smile. Even when she had a problem she never showed it.”
Haitembu said her daughter was a happy, peaceful child and loved making jokes.
“She loved the elders and children. When Selma came to visit, she would feed the children and the elderly. Before she went back home, she would bathe the elders and wash their clothes and blankets. Selma was the unifier in the family.”