Windhoek: The two men accused of the 2024 killing of 30-year-old Christof Frederik made their first appearance in the Windhoek High Court on Tuesday. Elias Nandomba, 20, and 21-year-old Mervin Beukes appeared before Magistrate Philanda Christiaan following the prosecutor general's decision to transfer the case from the Katutura Magistrate's Court due to the gravity of the charges. The matter was postponed to 28 April 2026 for a pre-trial hearing.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the State has charged the duo with murder, two counts of rape, obstructing the course of justice, and violating a dead human body. The charges stem from an incident on 02 May 2024 in Otjomuise, where the suspects allegedly encountered Frederik, a transgender woman, in the early hours of the morning. The indictment states that the suspects undressed and fatally stabbed her 61 times before discarding her body in a riverbed. It is further alleged that the pair attempted to frustrate police investigations by hiding their clothing and burying the murder weapons in a rented room.

The gallery was filled with members of the LGBTQI+ community, who stood in solidarity with the deceased. They called for the introduction of a 'hate crime bill' in Namibia, arguing that the nature of the crime targeted Frederik's identity as a transgender woman.