Forex trader Joseph Nghishihange (23), who is accused of murdering his daughter Mia (5), has denied killing or abusing the child.
Testifying during his bail application on Thursday, Nghishihange told the Oshakati Magistrate’s Court that he loved his daughter and had no reason to cause her death.
He denied being responsible for Mia’s death and disputed the state’s allegation that he had assaulted her on several occasions between November 2025 and February 2026.
“I am not the one who caused the death of my child and I have no reason to cause the death of my daughter,” Nghishihange told the court, adding that he loved Mia and had never missed any of her birthdays.
The state is opposing Nghishihange’s release on bail, citing the seriousness of the charges, the strength of its case, the risk of witness interference, the possibility of him absconding, and what the prosecution described as his propensity to commit offences.
The prosecution also argued that releasing Nghishihange would not be in the public interest or the interests of the administration of justice, pointing to the nature and severity of the alleged injuries, the child’s age and the public reaction to the case.
Taking the witness stand, Nghishihange told the court that Mia had lived with his grandmother at Onyati village before he brought her to live with him in December 2025.
He said he took the child into his care because he wanted her to attend a private school at Ongwediva alongside her six-year-old brother.
Nghishihange disputed the state’s allegation that he had abused Mia from November 2025, saying she was not living with him at the time.
He also testified that when he brought her from the village, she had a wound in the middle of her head and marks on her back, legs and arm.
According to his testimony, Mia also experienced vomiting, a high temperature and stomach pain. He said he took her to a pharmacy for medication and that her condition improved.
He told the court that his grandmother said the head wound was caused by a branch while the children were playing under a tree.
He further testified that his grandmother had told him that a nanny who previously cared for Mia at the village had assaulted her. The allegations about the nanny were presented as part of Nghishihange’s testimony and have not been established as findings of the court.
He said Mia later became ill again in February, prompting him to obtain medication from a pharmacy.
Nghishihange also testified that the nanny who had been caring for his children at Ongwediva left the household three days before Mia’s death. A day previous to this, the nanny had told him that Mia had fallen in the shower and sustained a sore on her lip.
He testified that when he returned from Ondangwa the following day, he found both children alone in the house.
Nghishihange told the court that he had been in custody for eight months and that his detention had affected both his personal life and his business.
He said he had been unable to mourn and bury his daughter before her funeral because he had already been arrested.
Nghishihange added that his forex trading business had stopped operating and that he was struggling to pay his legal fees.
He told the court that he could afford bail of between N$10 000 and N$15 000, and that he was willing to surrender his Namibian passport, report to the police as required, and comply with conditions prohibiting contact with state witnesses.
He also testified that he owned two residential plots in Namibia and had family members in the country.
Nghishihange has previously been convicted of defamation of character, according to his testimony.
Magistrate Nelao Ya France postponed the matter to 22 October for the continuation of the bail application. Nghishihange remains in custody at Oshakati.
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