Alleged ‘castration’ case takes a new turn

THE Namibia National Farmers Union yesterday seized the opportunity provided by television reports of the alleged castration of a farmworker by his employer to direct a broadside warning against “white commercial farmers” in Namibia.

According to an NBC television report broadcast this week on an ongoing Otavi Magistrate’s Court case, a farmer from the Grootfontein district, Johan Kok, is facing charges that he had castrated a worker of his last year. Reacting to the reports, the NNFU yesterday issued a strongly-worded statement in which the case was expanded into an example of white-versus-black conflict in Namibia.”We have always warned our fellow white commercial farmers not to provoke the Namibian nation more specifically the communal farmers but these sincere words of warning are falling on deaf ears,” the organisation stated.”This is not acceptable! Do not push us too far!” However, from enquiries made yesterday with legal sources with knowledge of Kok’s case it would appear that the matter is not as simple and clear-cut as it may have been made to appear.Kok has denied the charges of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and crimen injuria .It is alleged that he assaulted a worker, Mathias Uiseb, on July 19 2003 by grabbing part of Uiseb’s genitals with pliers and yanking hard.Uiseb made that claim when he testified during the trial.He told the court that the incident was sparked by an accusation from Kok that he, Uiseb, had been involved in stealing livestock from Kok.Uiseb told the court that he was still suffering pain and discomfort – to the extent that he was walking with difficulty – because of injuries he claimed to have suffered to his testicles.However, according to other evidence heard so far, a medical doctor who examined Uiseb when the latter complained of an injury to his private parts – this is claimed to have been two weeks after the date of the alleged assault, and also to have been after Uiseb had been arrested and placed in Police custody for alleged stock theft – was of the opinion that the injury on Uiseb’s private parts that he could observe – being a scratch-like mark – was about 24 hours old.Kok’s trial has been repeatedly postponed until now.Kok has already started to testify in his own defence.He is scheduled to appear in court at Otavi again on July 7.Reacting to the reports, the NNFU yesterday issued a strongly-worded statement in which the case was expanded into an example of white-versus-black conflict in Namibia.”We have always warned our fellow white commercial farmers not to provoke the Namibian nation more specifically the communal farmers but these sincere words of warning are falling on deaf ears,” the organisation stated.”This is not acceptable! Do not push us too far!” However, from enquiries made yesterday with legal sources with knowledge of Kok’s case it would appear that the matter is not as simple and clear-cut as it may have been made to appear.Kok has denied the charges of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and crimen injuria .It is alleged that he assaulted a worker, Mathias Uiseb, on July 19 2003 by grabbing part of Uiseb’s genitals with pliers and yanking hard.Uiseb made that claim when he testified during the trial.He told the court that the incident was sparked by an accusation from Kok that he, Uiseb, had been involved in stealing livestock from Kok.Uiseb told the court that he was still suffering pain and discomfort – to the extent that he was walking with difficulty – because of injuries he claimed to have suffered to his testicles.However, according to other evidence heard so far, a medical doctor who examined Uiseb when the latter complained of an injury to his private parts – this is claimed to have been two weeks after the date of the alleged assault, and also to have been after Uiseb had been arrested and placed in Police custody for alleged stock theft – was of the opinion that the injury on Uiseb’s private parts that he could observe – being a scratch-like mark – was about 24 hours old.Kok’s trial has been repeatedly postponed until now.Kok has already started to testify in his own defence.He is scheduled to appear in court at Otavi again on July 7.