Iuze Mukube

After Rodney Hoxobeb, the alleged murderer of 65-year-old Tallismanus farmer Christof Mberitjiwa Mungunda, placed the burden on the State to prove the elements of the two charges to which he pleaded not guilty, three witnesses took the stand.

The 29-year-old faces charges of murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, reckless or negligent driving, driving without a driver’s licence, and driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor.

On Tuesday before Judge Philanda Christiaan, he pleaded guilty to all charges except for attempted murder and driving under the influence of alcohol. He opted to remain silent and put the onus on the State.

The first witness, scene-of-crime officer Zentus Haoseb, stated that he was summoned to the murder scene on 17 September 2022, the day after the incident occurred on 16 September 2022.

Two witnesses led him to various points, including the spot where the deceased’s body had been lying face down since the night of the incident.

He testified that at the crime scene, he observed a big stone on top of the deceased’s head, which the accused is disputing, claiming that he only assaulted the deceased and killed him using an axe handle.

The State, represented by Ian Malumani, is alleging that after the accused hit and assaulted the deceased with an axe handle, he further proceeded to hit him with a stone.

The accused is, however, insisting that the deceased had fallen next to the stone and that it was never picked up or placed on top of his head.

This piece of evidence was confirmed by the second witness, Jerry Shitani, the complainant on the count of attempted murder. He was also an employee at the farm.

Although Shitani had not witnessed the death, he was the first to discover the body of Mungunda.

He testified that on the night of the incident, he had dodged a speeding vehicle, which he initially believed was being driven by the deceased.

After going to the deceased’s house and finding the door wide open, he had retraced the deceased’s footsteps, which led him to the scene where he discovered his body lying down on the ground, with a large stone on top of his head.

It was there that Shitani knew the deceased was not the one driving the car, but that another person (accused) had almost bumped and killed him. 

A third witness, Constable Johny Beukes, testified that he was summoned following reports of someone recklessly driving a vehicle in the streets of Kanaan location, Epako, Gobabis.

He testified that upon arriving at the scene, he observed the accused recklessly driving a vehicle up and down a public road, a vehicle the accused admitted to having stolen from the deceased’s house on the night of the incident.

Beukes added that after he and three others wrestled the accused to the ground, a strong smell of alcohol emanated from the accused, who at the time was also highly violent, and even insulting the officers present that day.

Malumani stated that for the count of reckless or negligent driving, the State will rather charge the accused with reckless driving, rather than negligent driving as admitted by the accused. Joseph Andreas of Andreas-Hamunyela Legal Practitioners is representing the accused.

The matter will reconvene for closing submissions tomorrow (Friday, 14 March 2025). 

In a damning admission on Tuesday, Rodney Hoxobeb (29) pleaded guilty to the killing of his former employer along with three other charges before Judge Philanda Christiaan.

Hoxobeb is facing six charges comprising murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, reckless or negligent driving, driving without a driver’s licence, and driving under the influence of alcohol.

The charges are in relation to the murder of Christof Mberitjiwa Mungunda (65) on 16 September 2022 in the district of Gobabis. He pleaded guilty to the counts of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, reckless or negligent driving, and driving without a driver’s licence.

He admitted he was employed by the deceased as a farm worker at Mberitjiwa Post, Tallismanus, in the district of Gobabis.

On that day of the incident, Hoxobeb submitted he went to his employer to ask for food as there was no food at his shack, but the deceased refused to assist him with food.

“I then went to my neighbour’s house to ask for food as my child and girlfriend did not have anything to eat. I was given porridge by my neighbour, and went back to my shack,” he said.

Later that day, he recalled, the deceased returned to the farm, and called him to ask him whether he wanted to work or not. 

He allegedly responded, “I cannot work on an empty stomach, and if you do not want to provide me with food, you should take me back to Gobabis.”

He reportedly felt that he was being mistreated.

He furthermore told the court that it was at that stage the deceased insulted him before instructing him to leave his yard, and the accused insulted him back; then the deceased slapped him on the face with an open hand. 

Thereafter, he went back to his shack, but was still simmering in fury at how the deceased treated him, and that even though he brought him to his farm to work, he could not provide him with food, and even assaulted him.

It was later that night that the accused took a handmade axe handle and confronted the deceased. 

“I hit him on his head and neck with the axe handle several times until he collapsed. I admit I knew that hitting him with an axe handle on his head and neck several times could cause his death, but I proceeded to hit him nevertheless,” he said.

He admitted he was the one who caused the death of the deceased, knowing that his conduct was wrong and unlawful with no justification in law for hitting the deceased with an axe handle on the head and neck.

On pleading guilty on the robbery count, he said he wrongfully and with the intention to force the deceased into submission assaulted him by hitting him on the head and neck several times.

Thereafter, they proceeded to the deceased’s house and stole his property, including his Toyota Hilux, a cellphone, a mattress, a cooler box, and other valuables.

“I admit that at the time I stole the various mentioned properties from the deceased, I was wielding a dangerous weapon, namely the axe handle, which I had used to assault the deceased before I went to steal his properties,” he said.

He then tendered a guilty plea for the fourth and fifth counts entailing reckless or negligent driving, and driving without a driver’s licence on 17 September 2022 in the Kanaan and Epako locations in Gobabis.

He submitted he tendered the plea as a token of remorse, begging the court to show mercy on him when considering the appropriate punishment for his conduct.

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