A 26-YEAR-OLD Windhoek resident who is accused of murdering a friend by kicking him to death in a shopping centre parking area in the city early last year heard on Friday last week that his case would be transferred to the Windhoek Regional Court for trial.

After spending an evening at a restaurant and bar in the Baines shopping centre in Pionierspark, murder suspect Riaan Swanepoel allegedly killed a friend who had been in his company that evening, Riaan van der Walt (33), in a frenzied assault at the shopping centre's parking area.

The two men had been drinking a substantial quantity of alcohol, including several rounds of tequila, before their evening out ended on that deadly note, it was reported at the time.

Swanepoel was arrested on the same evening, has made ten appearances in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court since then, and on Friday - with his eleventh court appearance - was told that the Prosecutor General has directed that he should stand trial in the Windhoek Regional Court on a charge of murder.

He is scheduled to make a first appearance in that court on January 16.

Swanepoel pleaded not guilty to the charge on September 4 last year.

His defence was not disclosed to the court.

After spending about a week and a half in Police custody following his arrest, he was granted bail in an amount of N$7 000.

He however lost this money to the State earlier this year when his bail was cancelled and declared forfeited to the State after he had failed to be present for one of his scheduled court appearances.

Bail in an amount of N$1 000 has since then been granted to Swanepoel.