Farmworker admits to murdering boss

WINDHOEK, 11 MAR (NAMPA) - A 29-year-old man formerly employed as a farmworker at Tallismanus in the Omaheke Region on Tuesday admitted in the Windhoek High Court to having killed his employer in September 2022.
The accused, Rodney Hoxobeb, killed Christof Mungunda, a farmer at Tallismanus in the district of Gobabis, before taking off with his Toyota pick-up.
Hoxobeb, according to the indictment, was employed as a general farm worker on the deceased's farm since July 2022. On 16 September 2022, an argument erupted between Mungunda and Hoxobeb, after which the accused reportedly informed his girlfriend that he would kill Mungunda.
“During the evening hours of the same day, the accused took a wooden axe handle and attacked the unarmed deceased, who was walking back to his farmhouse after switching off a generator. The accused hit the deceased multiple times over the head, neck and body with the axe handle,” the indictment reads.
Realising that Mungunda was still alive, Hoxobeb took a rock and threw it at his head, the State alleges. Hoxobeb has denied using a rock to further inflict bodily harm
Munguda, according to a postmortem report, died on the scene due to blunt force trauma to his head. It is further alleged that Hoxobeb took the deceased's vehicle and fled the scene, along with his girlfriend and her cousin.
Hoxobeb reportedly also bumped his fellow co-worker while attempting to flee, a claim he denies.
In his admission, Hoxobeb said the argument between him and Mungunda was prompted because he asked Mungunda for food, but he refused to give him food. According to Hoxobeb, he could not work on an empty stomach.
“I admit that I knew that hitting the deceased with an axe handle on his head and neck several times could cause his death, but I proceeded to hit him nonetheless. I admit that I am the one that caused the death of Mr Mungunda. I knew at the time that my conduct was wrong and unlawful and I do not have any justification in law for hitting the deceased with an axe handle on his head and neck several times,” Hoxobeb told the court.
Judge Philanda Christiaan is presiding over the case and Andreas Amunyela is representing Hoxobeb, while the State is represented by Ian Malumani.
(NAMPA)
EB/HP/AS