WINDHOEK – A resident of Westerkim location in Karasburg will plead today on a charge of murder read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act, 4 of 2003 before newly appointed Acting Judge of the Windhoek High Court Eileen Rakow.

The trial was supposed to start yesterday, but as Judge Rakow’s appointment only takes effect from today it was postponed by High Court Judge Nate Ndauendapo.

The prosecution will also be led by a new face at the Office of the Prosecutor-General, Tangeni Itula.
Before the judge will be Rynardt Wylie Roelf, 35, who is accused of beating his 20-year-old girlfriend to death for disobeying his instructions that she remain at home while he went to work.

According to the indictment, Roelf instructed Kathrina Aloyisa Alexander not to leave the residence they shared in Westerkim during the early hours of January 22 last year while he was at his place of employment.
When he returned home later that day and found that the deceased had defied his instructions by going into town with a female friend, he got angry and murdered the deceased by beating and hitting her, strangling her and throwing her onto the ground, causing her to die on the scene due to head injuries caused by him. He is free on bail.