A 24-year-old man from Rundu is facing a murder charge after he reportedly killed his father, saying he thought his father was a witch.
Gideon Daniel appeared in the Rundu Magistrate’s Court on Friday. Magistrate Sonia Samupofu refused to grant him bail. Daniel has been officially charged with murder under the Domestic Violence Act. His case was postponed to 12 May for further police investigation.
According to the police, Daniel was arrested on 1 April in the Sikanduko informal settlement. The arrest happened after members of the community reported the incident.
The police report says Daniel had asked his father to come with him to Sikanduko, pretending they were going to collect devil’s claw. But on the way, he allegedly struck his father on the head with a spade. The victim suffered serious injuries and was taken to Rundu State Hospital, where he later died.
Deputy Commissioner Bonifatius Kanyetu, who is in charge of crime investigations in Kavango East, confirmed that people in the area saw what happened and called the police.
Some witnesses said an angry crowd caught Daniel after the incident. They reportedly beat him, forced him to carry his father’s body, and handed him over to the police. When officers arrived, they found Daniel unconscious.
Kanyetu said the suspect told police that he believed his father was a witch and that the two had accused each other of witchcraft in the past.
