Pretoria - Slain former SABC journalist and board member Hope Zinde was on the brink of sending her son for drug rehabilitation days before he allegedly murdered her.
This emerged in an affidavit submitted to the Brits Regional Court on Friday by Hope's mother, Audrey Zinde.
Her son Mark Warona Zinde, 23, stands accused of murdering her and being in possession of drugs.
The affidavit was used as a supporting document to a submission made by his defence attorney to have him undergo psychiatric evaluation.
In a packed court gallery, his attorney, Mogorosi Molusi, read out the affidavit written by Hope’s mother.
The grieving mother detailed her daughter’s attempt to help her son overcome his drug addiction.
Audrey Zinde also pleaded for the courts to allow the accused to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital.
Wearing a navy blue jacket and a white shirt, Mark seemed more aware of his environment than during his first appearance on Monday.
He, however, appeared slightly confused when walking into the courtroom, constantly looking at the floor while his lawyer read out the affidavit.
Friends and some people believed to be his family were in court to support the seemingly troubled young man.
“As of June 4, 2016, Hope was on the brink of having the accused admitted for treatment and rehabilitation,” Molusi read.
In the affidavit, his grandmother stated that Hope detailed the reasons why she wanted her son to be admitted into rehabilitation.
“The accused was showing signs of totally being withdrawn, not communicating, bizarre behaviour, locking himself in his room the whole day, being aggressive and violent, as well as being a danger to himself and others,” said Molusi.
Audrey stated that her daughter believed Mark was not in a sound and normal state of mental health.
In addition, she said she had received a report from her daughter that he had previously been admitted to Vista Clinic on account of misuse of drugs in 2013.
“The need for rehabilitation gave me the impression that the accused used drugs, which caused him a serious personality and mental change.”
Audrey also referred to a 2014 letter by a Dr Francis Kariuki, a psychiatrist, in which he gave an assessment of the accused.
“I submit that it goes without saying that the accused and Hope were in constant communication about her intentions to get him taken in for rehabilitation,” wrote Audrey.
“It further cannot be denied that Hope’s intentions were greatly resisted, not out of well-thought reason.
“Any resistance for Hope’s intervention was a result of the accused’s mental ill-health.”
Zinde was found stuffed in the boot of her vehicle last Saturday after she had reportedly gone missing.
Through her affidavit, her mother said she received a report from Zinde’s helper that Mark turned her away on the morning of June 8 when she reported for duty.
“The accused aggressively grabbed her by the collar of her garment and pushed her to the door and ordered her to go away.”
Audrey said based on that report, she and her other daughter Fikile, went to the Hope’s Hartbeespoort home where Mark refused the security guard entry into the exclusive residential complex.
At that point, police were called to the scene and later, Zinde’s body was found in the boot of her car.
She said Mark’s uncles, Ndima and Fortune Zinde, visited him at the police station.
“The accused did not speak to my two sons, nor receive anything from them,” she said in her affidavit.
Magistrate Lourens Mattiah accepted the submissions and affidavits and postponed the matter for July 18 to allow the accused to undergo psychiatric forensic evaluation at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital, pending the availability of a bed.
Pretoria News