Wednesday, October 09, 2024 - The High Court of South Africa, Northern Cape Division, sitting in Upington, adjourned the trial of a 35-year-old Nigerian national, Emmanuel Chidi Okafor, who allegedly stabbed a South African police officer to death during an argument.
The spokesperson of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA)
Northern Cape Division, Mojalefa Senokoatsane, in a statement on Wednesday,
October 9, 2024, said the trial had to be stopped after the accused informed
the Judge that he was no longer happy with his Legal Aid-appointed
representative.
“The accused is facing a charge of murder, attempted murder,
and the Contravention of Sections 1,22(12) and 22(14) of the Refugees Act. He
is accused of killing an off-duty member of the South African Police Service,”
the statement read.
The State’s case emanates from an incident on 08 January
2020, when Okafor had a verbal altercation with his neighbour, Ryno Renee van
Wyk.
Okafor and van Wyk lived as neighbours in the small farming
town of Keimoes, near the town of Upington in the Northern Cape.
On the fateful day, Police Officer Stefano Nico Visagie and
other people were visiting van Wyk and drinking.
It is alleged that Okafor who was also in his house drinking
and smoking with his friends informed them that he was going to kill everyone
who was in the van Wyk household.
During the trial, the court heard through witnesses, that
during the night when everyone was sleeping in the van Wyk household, the
accused entered the house through a door that was unlocked, armed with a sharp
object and stabbed the deceased, Constable Stefano Nico Visagie who was
sleeping on the floor.
The court heard, that after the accused had killed the
officer, he continued with his merciless rampage by attacking van Wyk, whom he
stabbed in his upper leg.
During the tussle for the weapon between van Wyk and Okafor,
the accused was also injured in the process.
Other people who were sleeping in the house heard the victim
screaming and one of the people attacked the accused with a spade, and van Wyk
managed to escape. The accused began attacking other people, but they also
managed to escape.
It is alleged that the accused returned to his home, where
he took some of his belongings before running away.
The weapon that was used by the accused was later found in a
lorry that had given the accused a lift.
It is believed the weapon fell from his trousers during
transit. Through intelligence-driven and multi-disciplinary investigations led
by the Investigating Officer, the accused was traced and arrested in
Krugersdorp, Gauteng.
He was brought back to the Northern Cape, where he was
remanded in custody and is expected to be incarcerated until the conclusion of
the matter.
The trial was ongoing, and it was about to be concluded
before the accused fired his legal representations, therefore the matter will
only be heard on 28 October 2024.
The preliminary date is for the accused to hear if Legal Aid
will be able to appoint a new legal practitioner to represent him until the
trial is concluded.
On that date, the State, led by Senior State Advocate,
Jaques Rosenburg and the defence will also have an opportunity to agree on a
suitable date for the matter to continue.
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