Otjinene man guilty of murdering partner

AN Omaheke region resident who has admitted in the Windhoek High Court that he killed his girlfriend in a knife attack almost two years ago was convicted of murder, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, and assault yesterday.

Although murder accused Kaxui Katjivi (32) told the court that the fatal stabbing of his partner, Dina Anton (25), at Otjinene on 31 July 2014 resulted from him being insulted and provoked by Anton and her sister, the evidence before the court strongly pointed to an intention of Anton to leave Katjivi and return to her family’s home as the reason for the fatal attack on her, Judge Christie Liebenberg found in the verdict in which he convicted Katjivi.

The prosecution accepted Katjivi’s admission of guilt on the three charges as far as the elements of the crimes were concerned three weeks ago, but did not accept his version that insults, an argument, and provocation from Anton and her sister led to the stabbing.

Having heard the testimony of Anton’s sister, of an eyewitness who narrowly avoided also being stabbed by Katjivi, and of Katjivi himself, Judge Liebenberg concluded that Katjivi’s claim of having been slapped by Anton’s sister and provoked by her and Anton immediately prior to the stabbing was not only improbable, but false beyond reasonable doubt.

In a written plea explanation given to the court at the start of his trial, Katjivi claimed insults from Anton and her sister during the day leading up to the incident reminded him of emotional suffering that he had endured at the hands of Anton in the past.

He stated that he then used a butcher’s knife with which he was cutting meat while preparing a meal for his and Anton’s six children to stab her.

He said he grabbed Anton, stabbed her multiple times in the chest and on her arms, and continued to stab her in her back after she had fallen down.

Katjivi further admitted that he attempted to stab a man who was trying to come to the rescue of Anton – he missed his target when the man jumped out of the way, though – and that he also threatened to kill Anton’s sister while pointing his knife at her and pushing her out of the way.

However, Anton’s sister told the court she had gone with Anton to Katjivi’s house on the morning of 31 July 2014 to help her to take her belongings from the house, as she had decided to leave Katjivi.

Although they were not officially married, Katjivi and Anton were in a relationship, from which six children were born, the court was told.

In his testimony, Katjivi told the judge Anton was drinking excessively and neglecting their children, and that he was the primary caregiver of the children during a year-long period in which she had moved out of their house.

He said he was especially provoked when Anton’s sister told him, after a prior altercation with her, that her family would come and beat him up, and that he would spend time in jail.

He said he then fetched a knife from his house and, on his return to where Anton was outside, took her by her one arm and started to stab her several times in the chest and back, Judge Liebenberg recounted his testimony.

Katjivi also told the judge that the reason why he stabbed Anton was because she had told her sister that he had threatened to kill her the previous night.

Katjivi went to the police station at Otjinene after the stabbing. At the police station, he broke the knife he had used in the killing in two pieces in the presence of police officers.

The pre-sentencing phase of the trial is due to start on Monday next week.

Deputy prosecutor general Antonia Verhoef is representing the state. Katjivi, who is being held in custody, is being represented by defence lawyer Afrika Jantjies.