'I killed him for sleeping with my wife'

A 50-year-old murder suspect yesterday shocked the Rundu Magistrate’s Court gallery after he narrated ditching work to kill a man he is convinced was sleeping with his wife.

Showing no remorse for his actions, Joseph Kalihonda, who appeared before magistrate Sonia Samupofu, said he stabbed Daniel Kasimbombo (43) twice in the back and once in the neck “to finish him off”.

The incident took place at Mausivi village in the Mashare constituency last Wednesday evening.

According to the accused, who is employed as a security guard, he was convinced that his wife and the victim were having an affair.

Narrating what happened on that fateful day, Kalihonda said he was laying under a tree with his wife that morning when the victim approached his homestead.

He alleged that his wife went to Kasimbombo and they had a conversation, which he overheard.

“He asked my wife if I am sleeping and then she said yes. My wife then informed him that I was going to work at night, and that he should not have any fear about coming to my house.”

Hid in a tree

Pretending that he had not heard the conversation, Kalihonda said he slept and woke up at around 13:00 to go to work.

At around 17:00, he left his workplace and went home, where he arrived around 19:00.

He narrated that did not go straight into his homestead, but instead wandered around until he decided to hide in a tree near his house.

After some time, Kalihonda said he saw the victim approaching.

“He was carrying a bucket and he came straight to the tree where I was hiding. He placed it down but he did not see me,” he said.

“It was at that moment when I asked him what he was doing at my house.”

During an altercation, the suspect said he punched the victim, who fell to the ground.

Kasimbombo allegedly attempted to flee the scene, but Kalihonda had other plans for him, he said.

Turned himself in

The suspect said he drew his okapi knife and chased the victim, stabbing him twice in his back.

“I stabbed him twice in the back and when he could no longer run, he turned around and then I finished him off by stabbing him in the neck. He fell down and I saw how the blood was flowing from wound,” he narrated.

Kalihonda said he then went to his wife and told her: “The guy you always deny having something with is dying there outside”.

People started coming to the house, but he left and went to work, he said.

Upon arriving at his workplace, he decided to turn himself in at a police station, where he was arrested.

‘I meant to do it’

When asked whether he knew that stabbing someone could result in death, Kalihonda said it was his intention to kill the victim.

He added that he had previously taken Kasimbombo to community court after he one day found his wife coming from his house [assuming they had an affair behind his back].

The suspect said both his wife and the victim denied that they had an affair.

Kalihonda further told the court he will conduct his own defence, despite the serious charge he faces.

Magistrate Samupofu postponed the matter to 11 January 2023.

The State opposed bail on the basis that the matter is of a serious nature and that it would not be in the interest of the public nor the administration of justice to release the suspect.

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