Farmer murdered, wife kidnapped

A farmworker, who allegedly killed a farmer with an axe and kidnapped his wife, has been arrested.

Erongo police crime investigations coordinator, Deputy Commissioner Erastus Iikuyu, told Namibian Sun yesterday afternoon the suspect went on the run on Saturday, shortly after the incident that occurred at about 18:00 on a farm in Otjimbingwe.

According to media updates late yesterday afternoon, the suspect was arrested and will appear in court today.

The farmworker approached the 56-year-old farmer's wife, demanding to know where the firearms are kept on the farm.

The suspect is originally from Rundu and had been employed on the farm since October.

She told the worker that her husband does not have a firearm. The farmworker then searched the house without success. He then took an axe, walked towards 59-year-old Hendrik Coetzee, who was milking goats, and hit him several times on the head.

The suspect then went back to the house and loaded some items into Coetzee's GWM bakkie and instructed the wife to climb into the vehicle.

He drove off on the Otjimbingwe/Wilhelmstal gravel road. About 35km from Otjimbingwe, the suspect lost control off the vehicle and it overturned.

After the accident, the suspect ran away and the wife managed to walk a few kilometres before she was assisted to go back to Otjimbingwe.

In another incident at Rehoboth, a 25-year-old man allegedly killed a 28-year-old man with an okapi.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday morning at Block E. According to police, the suspect and his girlfriend were quarrelling in their house and Harold Rooi overhead them while passing by with his friend.

He decided to stop the quarrel. The suspect allegedly stabbed him in the right side of his neck. Rooi was rushed to hospital, but was declared dead on arrival. The suspect was arrested.

In a separate incident on Friday at Okadhiya village in the Ontunda area a ten-year-old child allegedly suffocated his three-year-old cousin with sand.

According to the police, Stefanus Shipandeni Simaneka was playing with his cousin and they were throwing each other with sand. Simaneka fell and his cousin sat on top of him and allegedly poured sand into his mouth, causing him to suffocate. A case of murder has been opened.

At Otjiwarongo a 31-year-old man was killed with an iron bar on Saturday. According to the police, Absalom Nghishidibwa was hit in the stomach and died after he was involved in a fight. Nghishidibwa had initially run away, but was overpowered by three suspects who assaulted him, leading to his death. Three suspects aged between 17 to 23 years old were arrested.

Meanwhile, on Saturday at Kuvukiland location in Nomtsoub a 51-year-old man was allegedly stabbed to death by his cousin.

According to the police, the two cousins were walking in Kuvukiland when an argument erupted.

Frankie Aweseb was stabbed in the chest and the suspect ran away. Aweseb picked up stones and chased him, but collapsed and died instantly. The suspect was arrested.

At Epako location in Gobabis a 29-year-old man was stabbed to death on Friday, allegedly by a 26-year-old suspect.

The incident occurred at a shebeen known as 'Why me bar', situated in the Canaan-C residential area of Epako.

Elia Muyari confronted the suspect about his girlfriend, who allegedly drew a knife and stabbed him in the chest. The suspect was arrested.

ELLANIE SMIT