Cop to face murder trial next year

The murder case against a 26-year-old police officer has been postponed until next year for plea and trial, as well as for the docket to be brought to court. The matter against Linus Nzwane was postponed until February 14 next year in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court in Katutura yesterday. In August this year, Nzwane was arrested for allegedly killing Martin Joel, 22, at Katutura’s Shandumbala location. Joel was gunned down just 50 metres from his parents' house shortly after 13:00, following an alleged verbal spat between him and Nzwane. Joel was in the company of three friends just before the shooting. Nzwane was off-duty at the time. He appeared yesterday before Chief Legal Clerk, Carina Mostert. She was standing in for the magistrate hearing the matter, who is currently away on a week-long workshop being held in Swakopmund. Mostert extended Nzwane’s bail of N$5 000. She also changed his bail condition which sees him reporting twice to the police, to him only being required to report twice a week between Monday and Friday. The State is represented by prosecutor Anthony Wilson. Preliminary police investigations into the case hinted that Nzwane may have panicked and shot Joel in fear, because of a previous attack and robbery in the same area, which had left him hospitalised. Joel is survived by both his parents, four sisters and three brothers.