By Roland Routh
WINDHOEK – The four men accused of killing renowned stock theft investigator, Hiambepo ‘Major’ Kazeurua, were informed Judge Christi Liebenberg will preside over their trial.
They were informed about the sitting judge when they made another pre-trial appearance in the Windhoek High Court yesterday.
The four accused, Stockley Kavejao (40), Matheu Kakururume (29), Muvare Kaporo (25) and Afas Kamutjemo (38) were informed their matter was postponed to 24 September for another pre-trial hearing to allocate them a trial date.
Advocate Slysken Makando will represent Kavejao, while Kakururume will have Bronell Uirab in his corner and Monty Karuaihe will defend Kamutjemo, both on the ticket of legal aid. Kaporo who previously informed Judge President Petrus Damaseb that he wished to appoint his own lawyer is now being represented by Jan Wessels.
The four men face charges of murder, stock theft and defeating or attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice.
The accused are all alleged to have been involved in the gruesome murder and mutilation of Kazeurua whose partly burned body was found in an aardvark burrow after being reported missing.
According to the indictment, Hadley Mwashekeleh who was the owner of the alleged stolen cattle hired grazing for his cattle on farm Rembrandt in the Gobabis area.
Kaporo was in his employ and responsible for looking after the cattle, while Kakururume was employed on the neighbouring farm, Brazil, which is owned by the brother of Kavejao.
It is stated Kamutjemo is a friend of Kavejao. According to the indictment, Kavejao and Kamutjemo planned to steal cattle and roped in Kaporo and Kakururume in their devious plan.
During the period 6 to 10 December 2012 Kaporo and Kakururume herded 15 head of cattle belonging to Mwashekeleh from farm Rembrandt to farm Brazil with the end destination farm Groot Ums in the Leonardville district.
Groot Ums is the farm where Kamutjeno and his uncle were farming and the cattle arrived there during December 2012, it is stated in the indictment. It was then that Mwashekeleh contracted Kazeurua who was an avid and able stock-theft investigator to investigate the theft of his cattle.
Kazeurua was reportedly hot on the trail of stolen cattle when he was murdered. The indictment further states the accused conspired to kill Kazeurua to prevent him from tracing the stolen cattle and Kaporo and Kakururume ambushed him and killed him by strangling him and throwing sand in his mouth to prevent him from breathing. This happened on 28 December, 2012.
It is further alleged the accused defeated or obstructed the course of justice or attempted to defeat or obstruct the course of justice when they burned the vehicle of the deceased, burned and buried the body of the deceased, gave money to Kaporo and Kakururume to leave the district of Gobabis after the death of the deceased and the theft of the cattle, burn destroy or otherwise dispose of the ear tags of the cattle, kept the stolen cattle on farm Groot Ums and/or mixed the cattle with other cattle kept at farm Groot Ums and attempted to brand the stolen cattle with the registered brand mark of Kamutjemo.
All the stolen cattle were recovered and re