Murder trial looms for couple accused of strangling engineer in home robbery! A shocking court date awaits Muningandu Kaapama, 30, and Jorene Bezuidenhout, 29, who face justice starting July 29 in the Windhoek High Court for a brutal killing that rocked the community.
The pair allegedly committed a horrific crime against 41-year-old engineer Benjamin Silombela inside his Eros Park residence on the night of May 23-24, 2022. Judge Philanda Christiaan informed the accused yesterday that their day of reckoning is approaching fast. Police discovered Silombela's lifeless body on the evening of May 24 – tied up and strangled in his home.
Prosecutors paint a chilling picture of the events that unfolded that fateful night. The couple allegedly bound Silombela's hands and feet gagged him and strangled him before making off with his Mercedes-Benz, a safe, television, cellphone, three bank cards, and clothing. Law enforcement nabbed the suspects just three days after the bloody incident.
Both Kaapama and Bezuidenhout admitted during a November 2022 bail hearing they visited Silombela's house that evening but fiercely denied killing him. They claimed they left after Silombela and Kaapama engaged in a physical altercation. Their desperate bid for bail failed miserably, leaving them locked behind bars since their arrest.
Court drama escalated when two defense lawyers abandoned the case last November, claiming the accused gave them conflicting instructions. The Ministry of Justice stepped in, appointing defense lawyer Mbanga Siyomunji to represent the troubled pair. Their trial will unfold across multiple dates: July 29 to August 1, September 22 to October 3, and November 3 to 7.
The pair allegedly committed a horrific crime against 41-year-old engineer Benjamin Silombela inside his Eros Park residence on the night of May 23-24, 2022. Judge Philanda Christiaan informed the accused yesterday that their day of reckoning is approaching fast. Police discovered Silombela's lifeless body on the evening of May 24 – tied up and strangled in his home.
Prosecutors paint a chilling picture of the events that unfolded that fateful night. The couple allegedly bound Silombela's hands and feet gagged him and strangled him before making off with his Mercedes-Benz, a safe, television, cellphone, three bank cards, and clothing. Law enforcement nabbed the suspects just three days after the bloody incident.
Both Kaapama and Bezuidenhout admitted during a November 2022 bail hearing they visited Silombela's house that evening but fiercely denied killing him. They claimed they left after Silombela and Kaapama engaged in a physical altercation. Their desperate bid for bail failed miserably, leaving them locked behind bars since their arrest.
Court drama escalated when two defense lawyers abandoned the case last November, claiming the accused gave them conflicting instructions. The Ministry of Justice stepped in, appointing defense lawyer Mbanga Siyomunji to represent the troubled pair. Their trial will unfold across multiple dates: July 29 to August 1, September 22 to October 3, and November 3 to 7.
