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Murder accused farmworker claims self-defence

2022-05-11  Roland Routh

Murder accused farmworker claims self-defence

A 30-year-old farmworker accused of killing his employer with an axe and kidnapping and raping the wife of the victim, claimed he acted in self-defence during his testimony yesterday.

Kazana Nicolaus Hausiku told Windhoek High Court Judge Naomi Shivute that the deceased for whom he worked for about two weeks and two days before the murder, wanted to strike him with the axe. He, however, ducked the blow and managed to grab the axe and hit the deceased with it instead.

“We were at the kraal, where he told me to catch a goat and bring it to him to milk. But as he had an axe with him, I was afraid,” he told the judge on a question from his legal aid lawyer Salomon Kanyemba.

Before that, Hausiku told the court that he was busy watering a small field of maize when the deceased arrived with a “tin” and an axe, and told him to go to the kraal so that they could milk some goats. 

When they arrived at the kraal, the deceased remained at the gate, and told him to go and catch one of the goats. After he caught the goat, he asked the deceased to throw the tin to him so that he could milk the goat.

But the latter refused, and told him to bring the goat to him, Hausiku narrated. 

He said since he was afraid because the deceased had an axe with him, he again told the deceased to instead throw the tin to him so that he could milk the goat. 

The deceased then got angry and told him that he is “hardegat” - meaning he is obstinate – and he decided to leave the kraal. When he tried to exit the kraal, the deceased tried to hit him with the axe, he claimed. 

“I ducked the blow and managed to grab the axe and then hit the deceased twice on the back of his head, and he fell down,” he told the court. 

Hausiku added that he was in shock, and just wanted to get away from the farm. He then went to the house, where he asked the wife of the deceased for transport money.

She, however, told him that she did not have any money, and that they would have to go to Okahandja to get money. He then went into the house to pack his belongings and when he returned, the woman was there with her handbag and driving licence. They then drove from the farm with the woman driving, he said. 

Hausiku said they drove until the exit gate of the farm and there the woman got out, opened the gate and closed it. When she returned to the car, she put a bunch of keys into the side-pocket of his bag. 

He went on to say that they then continued to drive until the car overturned. 

After the car overturned, he asked for a torch from the woman, who was sitting a short distance from the car. He then went to fetch his bag from the car and when he returned, the woman was nowhere to be seen. 

“I then blacked out, and the next thing I remember was being in Rundu and being arrested by the police,” he testified.

Hausiku is on trial for murder, rape, kidnapping, robbery, driving without a licence and reckless or negligent driving – charges he pleaded not guilty to. 

It is alleged that he killed his 56-year-old employer near Otjimbingwe in the Karibib district by hacking him on the head with an axe during the period 10 to 11 November 2018.  

He allegedly also threatened the wife of the farmer with a panga and raped her inside the farmhouse, whereafter he ransacked the farmhouse and loaded the stolen items onto a pick-up of the deceased, and forced the wife to accompany him.

The State further alleges that while driving away from the farm, he overturned the vehicle between Otjimbingwe and Wilhelmstal. 

The trial continues today, with Hausiku set to face cross-examination from State Advocate Ethel Ndlovu.


2022-05-11  Roland Routh

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