State fires first shots in farm massacre case

THE four men accused of having a hand in the massacre of eight people at a farm between Rehoboth and Kalkrand in March last year made a first pre-trial appearance in the High Court in Windhoek yesterday.

The four – Stoney Raymond Neidel (29), brothers Sylvester and Gavin Beukes (aged 21 and 24 respectively), and Justus Christiaan (‘Shorty’) Erasmus (28), whose parents were two of the eight victims of the mass murder at farm Kareeboomkolk – will have to attend a second pre-trial hearing in the High Court on June 14, they were told during their appearance before Acting Judge Collins Parker yesterday. They are set to face 15 charges at their trial.Eight of those are counts of murder.According to the indictment setting out the charges against them, the State alleges that Erasmus first conspired with Sylvester Beukes in 2003 to murder not only his parents, Justus Christiaan Erasmus and Elzabé Erasmus, but also his sister, Yolande Erasmus.Yolande Erasmus was at her brother’s side when he arrived at court for the pre-trial hearing yesterday.The State further alleges that during a subsequent meeting with Beukes on January 31 last year, Erasmus Jnr gave Beukes a revolver, a box with .38 calibre bullets and a firearm licence belonging to his father.On March 4, the indictment continues, the Beukes brothers went to the Erasmus couple’s farm.On that day and the next, it is also alleged, they went on to murder eight people at the farm – the Erasmus couple, who were lured to the farm from Windhoek, where they lived, and the farm foreman, Sonnybooi Swartbooi (35), his pregnant wife, Hilma Engelbrecht (32), her and Swartbooi’s children, Christina Engelbrecht (6) and Regina Gertze (4), Swartbooi’s brother, Settie Swartbooi (50), and Engelbrecht’s nephew, Deon Gertze (18).During the night of March 5 last year, the State alleges, the two brothers offloaded some of the goods that they had stolen at the farm at Neidel’s house, whereafter they and Neidel travelled to a farm in the Rehoboth district where they offloaded and hid more stolen goods.The next day, the Beukes brothers were arrested.At their first court appearance at Mariental, Sylvester Beukes admitted in a detailed account that he had shot and killed all eight people.He claimed he had done so to avenge a grudge he had against Erasmus Snr over bad treatment he claimed to have received from the part-time farmer when he was working for him.About a week later, Sylvester Beukes changed tack and told the Police in a sworn statement that Erasmus Jnr had asked him to murder his parents.Beukes allegedly claimed that Erasmus had promised him a share of his parents’ life-insurance payouts.Defence lawyer Winnie Christians, instructed by the Legal Aid Directorate, appeared before Acting Judge Parker as legal representative of both the brothers and Neidel yesterday.According to the State, however, it is clear that there is a conflict of interest between Neidel and especially Gavin Beukes, Deputy Prosecutor General Antonia Verhoef told the court.She trusted that Christians was well aware of the problems that may arise if a defence counsel had to withdraw during the course of the trial because of a conflict of interest, Verhoef told the Acting Judge.Christians did not appear to take kindly to her remarks.He regarded the State’s attitude as “premature and arrogant”, the lawyer hit back.He has consulted with all three men he is representing, and according to his calculation there is no conflict of interest between them, Christians said.The State’s intention was to get the accused men to testify against each other, but they could not be forced to do that, as they had a right to remain silent, he said.The State had made its bed by deciding to charge all four men – Neidel was arrested and added to the case as an accused early in April this year only – and now the State must lie in that bed, Christians said.Lawyer Louis Botes will be instructed to represent Erasmus Jnr at the trial, the latter’s lawyer, Petrie Theron, informed the court.Botes has built up a reputation as one of Namibia’s top criminal trial lawyers.Erasmus Jnr remains free on bail until his next scheduled court appearance.Neidel and the Beukes brothers remain in custody.They are set to face 15 charges at their trial.Eight of those are counts of murder.According to the indictment setting out the charges against them, the State alleges that Erasmus first conspired with Sylvester Beukes in 2003 to murder not only his parents, Justus Christiaan Erasmus and Elzabé Erasmus, but also his sister, Yolande Erasmus.Yolande Erasmus was at her brother’s side when he arrived at court for the pre-trial hearing yesterday.The State further alleges that during a subsequent meeting with Beukes on January 31 last year, Erasmus Jnr gave Beukes a revolver, a box with .38 calibre bullets and a firearm licence belonging to his father.On March 4, the indictment continues, the Beukes brothers went to the Erasmus couple’s farm.On that day and the next, it is also alleged, they went on to murder eight people at the farm – the Erasmus couple, who were lured to the farm from Windhoek, where they lived, and the farm foreman, Sonnybooi Swartbooi (35), his pregnant wife, Hilma Engelbrecht (32), her and Swartbooi’s children, Christina Engelbrecht (6) and Regina Gertze (4), Swartbooi’s brother, Settie Swartbooi (50), and Engelbrecht’s nephew, Deon Gertze (18).During the night of March 5 last year, the State alleges, the two brothers offloaded some of the goods that they had stolen at the farm at Neidel’s house, whereafter they and Neidel travelled to a farm in the Rehoboth district where they offloaded and hid more stolen goods.The next day, the Beukes brothers were arrested.At their first court appearance at Mariental, Sylvester Beukes admitted in a detailed account that he had shot and killed all eight people.He claimed he had done so to avenge a grudge he had against Erasmus Snr over bad treatment he claimed to have received from the part-time farmer when he was working for him.About a week later, Sylvester Beukes changed tack and told the Police in a sworn statement that Erasmus Jnr had asked him to murder his parents.Beukes allegedly claimed that Erasmus had promised him a share of his parents’ life-insurance payouts.Defence lawyer Winnie Christians, instructed by the Legal Aid Directorate, appeared before Acting Judge Parker as legal representative of both the brothers and Neidel yesterday.According to the State, however, it is clear that there is a conflict of interest between Neidel and especially Gavin Beukes, Deputy Prosecutor General Antonia Verhoef told the court.She trusted that Christians was well aware of the problems that may arise if a defence counsel had to withdraw during the course of the trial because of a conflict of interest, Verhoef told the Acting Judge.Christians did not appear to take kindly to her remarks.He regarded the State’s attitude as “premature and arrogant”, the lawyer hit back.He has consulted with all three men he is representing, and according to his calculation there is no conflict of interest between them, Christians said.The State’s intention was to get the accused men to testify against each other, but they could not be forced to do that, as they had a right to remain silent, he said.The State had made its bed by deciding to charge all four men – Neidel was arrested and added to the case as an accused early in April this year only – and now the State must lie in that bed, Christians said.Lawyer Louis Botes will be instructed to represent Erasmus Jnr at the trial, the latter’s lawyer, Petrie Theron, informed the court.Botes has built up a reputation as one of Namibia’s top criminal trial lawyers.Erasmus Jnr remains free on bail until his next scheduled court appearance.Neidel and the Beukes brothers remain in custody.