A resident of the Nalitungwe settlement in Windhoek’s Hakahana informal settlement admitted stabbing his common-law wife, but denied killing her.

Rodney Afrikaner pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act on Tuesday before Windhoek High Court Judge Claudia Claasen. 

He did not give a plea explanation. 

He told the court that he would remain silent, and put the onus on the State to prove every allegation against him. 

Afrikaner is representing himself after his former Legal Aid instructed lawyer Susan Nyatondo withdrew from the matter for untenable instructions.

The State alleges that Afrikaner killed 39-year-old Petricia ‘Swaertjie’ Hochobes on 9 February 2019 by stabbing her at least three times in her thigh and leg with a pair of scissors. 

The victim died on the scene due to blood loss caused by the stabbings, it is further alleged. 

Afrikaner allegedly fled from the scene after a relative of the victim saw him before calling the police.

An eyewitness, Gloria Naris, testified on Tuesday about what happened on that fateful evening. 

She said the accused arrived at the house he shared with Hochobes and his three children. 

Soon after, Afrikaner started arguing with his eldest daughter about her schoolwork. 

He also slapped the nine-year-old girl, and threatened to burn her school uniform. 

At that stage, Hochobes intervened, and the accused started swearing at her, calling her names and telling her she had an odour. 

He further threatened to kill her. After a while, the accused asked that the victim serves him food and she gave him rice with chakalaka sausage. 

The accused asked her where was the meat and threw the food plate at her. 

He then started quarrelling with Hochobes, and she asked her uncle to intervene. 

After the uncle left, the accused started quarrelling again with the victim while she was sitting on their bed, breastfeeding her seven-month-old baby, and slapped her, the witness continued. 

He then pulled a trunk from under the bed, took out a pair of scissors and stabbed the victim on the thigh. 

The witness said she took the baby from Hochobes, who came and sat on her bed in the other room. 

The accused then followed, and when Hochobes told him to come and “see what you did”, he stabbed her again twice. 

The witness further said that when she wanted to intervene, Afrikaner threatened to stab her in the belly, and kill her unborn child. 

When the witness allegedly told him that police had been called, he fled from the scene. 

She further said she then called an ambulance, who told her to call the police, which she did. 

She and two other people then went to direct the ambulance to the shacks. 

She said when she returned to the house, she saw the morticians covering Hochobes. 

The accused remains in custody, and the matter continues. 

The State is represented by Tangeni Itula.

-rrouth@nepc.com.na