The Windhoek Regional Court is set to hear more details as to what led to the gruesome death of an Okahandja resident more than a decade ago when the trial resumes in October.
Both the State and defence teams agreed to have the trial resume in October when the accused appeared in court yesterday.
Thus, Magistrate Alexis Diergaardt postponed and scheduled the trial to resume on 29 October.
The group consists of Fillupus Ai-Aiseb (25), Seth Awaseb (28), Hartley Nanub (32), Gideon Naobeb (32), and Collin Naraseb (26).
All accused are currently on bail pending the finalisation of their trial.
The men are on trial on charges of murder and assault to do grievous bodily harm for the death of Marshall de Klerk in April 2008 in Okahandja.
The substantial facts contained in the charge sheet state that the accused youths did “unlawfully and intentionally kill De Klerk near a shebeen in Okahandja by cutting him with a panga and spears, and stabbing him with knives all over his body, causing his death”.
De Klerk died from excessive bleeding due to the cuts and slashes on his body. His body was discovered with multiple stab wounds and slashes.
At the start of their trial last year, all accused persons denied any wrongdoing when they took no guilty pleas to the charges.
However, the first State witness, Medusalem Gawanab placed all the accused, except Ai-Aiseb, at the scene of the crime on the date in question. According to Gawanab’s testimony, he was in the company of the accused person at a local shebeen in Okahandja when an argument erupted between the deceased, Awaseb and Nanub.
The accused were allegedly drinking alcohol.
It was his testimony that he saw Awaseb and Nanub walk towards the deceased with a panga and axe. Thereafter, the whole group followed suit.
He recalled seeing the accused persons allegedly assaulting the victim.
He further testified that the accused confessed about killing De Klerk while they were all in police custody.
Gawanab was allegedly held at the same holding cells with the accused before they were released on bail.
– mamakali@nepc.com.na