By Roland Routh
WINDHOEK – The four men accused of killing renowned stock theft investigator Hiambepo ‘Major’ Kazeurua were informed their trial would start before Judge Alfred Siboleka on September 8 and set to continue until September 16.
Further dates were set aside for the trial that has attracted huge attention since its start in the Gobabis Magistrate’s Court almost two years ago.
The next dates are September 28 to 30 and again from December 01 to 08 this year before it will be postponed to next year from February 16 to March 11.
While the dates are fixed, it could possibly not be smooth sailing all the way as there were indications during pre-trial proceedings that certain evidence is in dispute and might need to be determined with a trial-within-a-trial.
Stockley Kavejao, 40, Matheu Kakururume, 29, Muvare Kaporo, 25, and Afas Kamutjemo, 38, face charges of murder, stock theft and defeating or attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice.
The accused are all alleged to be involved in the gruesome murder and mutilation of Kazeurua whose partly burned body was found in an aardvark burrow on January 7, after being reported missing for days earlier.
According to the indictment the accused conspired to kill Kazeurua to prevent him from tracing cattle they had stolen and Kaporo and Kakururume ambushed and killed him by strangling and throwing sand in his mouth to prevent him from breathing.
This allegedly happened on December 28, 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, burnt or destroyed or otherwise disposed of the ear tags of the cattle, kept the stolen cattle on Farm Groot Ums and/or mixed these cattle with other cattle kept at Farm Groot Ums and attempted to brand the stolen cattle with the registered brand mark of Kamutjemo.
Kavejao, Kakururume and Kaporo remain in custody while Kamutjemo is out on bail.
Kavejao is represented by Advocate Slysken Makando, Kakururume by Monty Karuhaie and Kaporo by Bronell Uirab while Jan Wessels will defend Kamutjemo through private instruction.