Iuze Mukube
A 33-year-old Keetmanshoop resident yesterday pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder in relation to the death of his then-stepfather, Deon Bobeje, on 27 February 2021 in Kronlein.
Kevin Matthew Cloete, who is facing a count of murder for stabbing Bobeje with a knife in the chest during a heated argument, made his plea to Judge Philanda Christiaan yesterday.
Cloete put the onus on the State and explained that he was defending himself against an attack from the deceased and denied that he intended to kill the deceased.
Neither did he foresee that Bobeje would die because of his actions.
He, however, also admitted that the deceased died because of a stab wound to the chest that he stabbed the deceased once with a knife in his chest and that the incident occurred on 27 February 2021.
The indictment states that at all relevant times, Cloete and Bobeje were involved in a domestic relationship, as the deceased was the stepfather to the accused and they resided with the accused’s mother in one residence at Kronlein in Keetmanshoop.
The State alleges that on 27 February 2021, an argument erupted between Cloete and Bobeje, causing the Cloete to verbally threaten the deceased that he will kill him.
Additionally, a physical altercation erupted between the two, during which the Cloete stabbed the deceased in the chest with a knife. Bobeje died on the scene due to injuries caused by the stabbing.
A witness, Lee-Rooi Glen Engelbrecht, yesterday took to the stand and testified that he heard an argument at the Cloete house and witnessed him hitting and punching his stepfather.
He added he tried to separate the two, who calmed down after a few minutes, but that Bobeje did not insult the accused at the time while the accused told the him that he would stab and kill him.
After separating them, Cloete went inside the shack and came back with a knife and told Bobeje that he would stab and kill him, to which Bobeje responded that he would “f***k him [accused] up”.
Engelbrecht stated that after the accused tried to stab Bobeje once, he got on top of him and stabbed him once on the chest with the knife.
Subsequently, he pulled Cloete off Bobeje and helped him to a chair but saw that he was getting weaker and laid him on the ground, and that was when he saw Bobeje also had a knife.
After going back to the scene, Engelbrecht was unsure whether it was anger, but the accused took a bucket full of water and threw it on his mother.
From what he observed, he stated that Bobeje was very drunk and was exchanging insults with Cloete but that he could not defend himself in the fight.
Hendrik van Zyl is representing the accused and the State by Ian Malumani.