Katima knife killing trial starts in High Court

A SEQUEL to the killing of a young woman at Katima Mulilo close to four years ago started in the High Court in Windhoek yesterday, when her former boyfriend went on trial on a charge of murder.

Former taxi driver Morris Mazila Sibitwani (28) pleaded not guilty when his trial got under way before Acting Judge Annel Silungwe with State advocate Johan Pienaar putting a charge of murder to him. Sibitwani’s defence counsel, Titus Mbaeva, did not reveal the basis of his defence to the court.Sibitwani is accused of having killed his former girlfriend, Happy Mulela Kabajani, at Katima Mulilo on April 19 2003.She was allegedly stabbed some ten times with a knife, and was left bleeding on a road, where she was later found dead, it is charged in the indictment that Sibitwani is facing in the High Court.It is also alleged in the indictment that on the day before the killing, Sibitwani had wanted to stab Kabajani with a kitchen knife, but that he was disarmed and removed from her house after she had called out for help.On the next day, it is alleged, Sibitwani again arrived at Kabajani’s house, demanding to talk to her and asking her to return photographs of him that she had in her possession.They allegedly left her house together after that, and she was killed soon afterwards, it is charged.The second State witness to testify in the trial, Detective Warrant Officer Boniface Mainga Matongela, is set to continue with his testimony when the trial goes on for a second day today.He told the court yesterday that when he visited the scene where Kabajani’s body was found lying in a footpath between Katima Mulilo’s New Look and Nambweza areas, he noticed a shoe print leading from the scene.Police officers followed these tracks for as long as two to three hours before the prints finally disappeared in tall grass, he said.Later that day, the name of a suspect surfaced, he said.On the evening of the next day, a Police team found Sibitwani at Lusu, a village about 50 kilometres south of Katima Mulilo, and Sibitwani was arrested as a suspect in the murder of Kabajani, Matongela testified.The day after that, which was April 21 2003, Sibitwani accompanied Police officers back to the scene where Kabajani’s body had been found, Matongela said.There, he testified, Sibitwani pointed out in which direction he had run from the scene, and also where he had thrown away a knife that he had with him.This knife was subsequently found, and yesterday it was handed to the court as an exhibit in the case.Also handed in as an exhibit were the shoes that Matongela claimed Sibitwani had with him when he was arrested.The tracks made by the shoes were similar to the tracks that were found at the scene where Kabajani’s body was discovered, Matongela told the court.Sibitwani’s defence counsel, Titus Mbaeva, did not reveal the basis of his defence to the court.Sibitwani is accused of having killed his former girlfriend, Happy Mulela Kabajani, at Katima Mulilo on April 19 2003.She was allegedly stabbed some ten times with a knife, and was left bleeding on a road, where she was later found dead, it is charged in the indictment that Sibitwani is facing in the High Court.It is also alleged in the indictment that on the day before the killing, Sibitwani had wanted to stab Kabajani with a kitchen knife, but that he was disarmed and removed from her house after she had called out for help.On the next day, it is alleged, Sibitwani again arrived at Kabajani’s house, demanding to talk to her and asking her to return photographs of him that she had in her possession.They allegedly left her house together after that, and she was killed soon afterwards, it is charged.The second State witness to testify in the trial, Detective Warrant Officer Boniface Mainga Matongela, is set to continue with his testimony when the trial goes on for a second day today.He told the court yesterday that when he visited the scene where Kabajani’s body was found lying in a footpath between Katima Mulilo’s New Look and Nambweza areas, he noticed a shoe print leading from the scene.Police officers followed these tracks for as long as two to three hours before the prints finally disappeared in tall grass, he said.Later that day, the name of a suspect surfaced, he said.On the evening of the next day, a Police team found Sibitwani at Lusu, a village about 50 kilometres south of Katima Mulilo, and Sibitwani was arrested as a suspect in the murder of Kabajani, Matongela testified.The day after that, which was April 21 2003, Sibitwani accompanied Police officers back to the scene where Kabajani’s body had been found, Matongela said.There, he testified, Sibitwani pointed out in which direction he had run from the scene, and also where he had thrown away a knife that he had with him.This knife was subsequently found, and yesterday it was handed to the court as an exhibit in the case.Also handed in as an exhibit were the shoes that Matongela claimed Sibitwani had with him when he was arrested.The tracks made by the shoes were similar to the tracks that were found at the scene where Kabajani’s body was discovered, Matongela told the court.