The legal representation of a Windhoek resident accused of murdering his girlfriend by stabbing her 18 times with a knife will have to be confirmed before dates can be set for his trial.
Murder accused Dencel Kapitako’s current defence lawyer, Rennie Strauss, informed deputy judge president Hannelie Prinsloo in the Windhoek High Court yesterday that he will have to return his instructions to represent Kapitako to the Directorate of Legal Aid.
The reason for that is that he is leaving the private law firm to which he is attached and taking up a position as legal aid counsel, and the directorate would have to decide again who to instruct to represent Kapitako, Strauss said.
Prinsloo has also been informed that Kapitako’s case is ready for trial dates to be set.
Kapitako’s legal representation would have to be confirmed before the trial dates are decided, though.
Kapitako (33) is facing a charge of murder, read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act, in connection with the death of his then girlfriend, Delin !Nawases (25), three years ago.
The state is alleging that Kapitako murdered !Nawases by stabbing her 18 times with a knife.
The incident took place in a backyard room where Kapitako and !Nawases were living in the Katutura area in Windhoek.
The state is alleging that Kapitako suspected !Nawases of being unfaithful to him and being romantically involved with another man or men, after he had read some text messages or seen some photographs on her cellphone.
After Kapitako allegedly told !Nawases to move out of their room and return to her mother’s house, an argument between them ensued during the evening of 26 July 2023, the state is alleging.
Kapitako is alleged to have hit !Nawases in the face or head with a blunt object, and to have stabbed her at least 18 times with a knife or knives.
He also stabbed himself, it is alleged.
After the incident, Kapitako is alleged to have reported to his uncle that he had stabbed !Nawases and himself.
Kapitako, who is serving a term of imprisonment at Hardap Correctional Facility, has to make a next pretrial appearance in the High Court on 27 August.
