Three men, two of them repeat offenders, made a brief appearance before the Karibib Magistrate's Court today in connection with stocktheft, attempted murder, and armed robbery.

They were not asked to plead, and magistrate Donnevan Schuster postponed the matter to February next year.

The men were arrested after they allegedly stole over one hundred and twenty smallstock from a farm near Karibib and, in the process, critically wounded a farm worker with a spear.

The incident happened on Saturday.

The incident occurred at Farm Dobbelsberg, situated some eight kilometres west of Karibib. 

It is alleged that the accused, 36-year-old Stanley Andrew, stabbed the herder, 28-year-old Joseph Mupunzi, in the back.

The spear protruded out of the stomach.

The herder put up a brave fight before fleeing and managed to pull out the spear from his body, walking more than two kilometres to the homestead of the farm owner.
 
Farm owner Henrik Blaauw spoke to nbc News and says farm attacks and stock theft happen regularly.

This is the third such incident that has happened in the vicinity in recent times.

Not so long ago, a farm worker was attacked and handcuffed in the Usakos vicinity, while in the Otjimbingwe area, panga-wielding men also attacked a farm worker.

Blaauw, however, expressed dissatisfaction with repeated stock theft offenders walking free.

Two of the accused persons are repeat offenders, and between them they share 10 previous cases.

Upon investigations, nbc established that Andrew, who spearheaded the farm worker, has been found guilty on eight previous charges and has been sentenced to direct imprisonment of up to two years while he was slapped with fines for other convictions.

All of his previous eight convictions are related to illegal hunting and stock theft.

Blaauw says he is baffled by the reasons why some engage in stock theft. 

At the back of Blaauw's car are the wife and children of the farm worker.

The wife informed nbc News that she would not comment as she was still in shock after the incident.

One of the workers also employed by Blaauw pleaded that the courts not show mercy to repeat offenders.

The three men allegedly admitted to the crimes after they were found with the weapons and carcases of some of the slaughtered animals.

Though explained to them by the presiding magistrate that the crimes they stand accused of are very serious, all of them indicated to the Court that they would conduct their own defence.

The state objected to the granting of bail, and the matter will continue on February 5, next year.

As of now, the brave Mupunzi has been transferred to the Katutura State Hospital, and according to a doctor, he is out of the woods and recuperating well.