A man who was in November last year sentenced to 50 years imprisonment for shooting and killing two women in Mariental in May 2009, is appealing against his sentence.
Salmon Nakale, 35, made an appearance before High Court Judge Alfred Siboleka yesterday morning.
He was informed that the appeal against his prison term will be heard on October 21.
The date was agreed upon between Deputy Prosecutor-General Antonia Verhoef and Nakale's lawyer Titus Ipumbu.
Nakale claims there was some "misdirection" by the court when it imposed its sentence.
He was found guilty on August 24, 2012 of the murder of his girlfriend, Rebecca Katana, 22, and her sister, Lucia Erastus, 31.
He shot and killed the two women on May 9, 2009 at the Ombili informal settlement in Mariental in the Hardap Region.
Katana died instantly, while Erastus died of multiple gunshot wounds a few hours later at the Mariental State Hospital, where she was taken by the police for medical treatment.
Nakale was sent to jail for 30 years for Katana's murder, while receiving a further 20 years Erastus's killing.
"The evidence provided by several State witnesses during trial is consistent and the witnesses corroborated with one another in their testimonies. I am, therefore, satisfied that the State has proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt that you (Nakale) were responsible for the death of the two women. You shot the two women in a jealous rage," said Siboleka at the time of imposing punishment.
The court dismissed Nakale's version of the murders.
Nakale claimed that the two women were accidentally killed when shots went off during an alleged struggle between himself and Katana for possession of the weapon.
Nakale denied the double murder and pleaded not guilty at the start of his trial in October 2011.
Evidence presented before and during the trial included that Nakale was arrested only after he had instructed his brother, Simpson Nakale, to inform the police of his whereabouts at Mariental, a day after the two murders took place.
The police found Nakale in the veld near Gibeon, close to where he abandoned his car after the shooting incident.
Ipumbu defended Nakale, acting on the instructions of the Justice Ministry's Directorate of Legal Aid.
Ipumbu was again this year appointed and instructed by the Directorate of Legal Aid to represent Nakale in the appeal.
WINDHOEK NAMPA