Mbombela - A man accused of murdering his lover's eight-year-old daughter and then raping her afterwards was rushed to a doctor on Friday after complaining that he was ill.
Edgar Charles Mabunda, 31, of Timbavati Trust outside Acornhoek, appeared in the Nelspruit circuit of the High Court in Pretoria, a Sapa correspondent reported.
The court was adjourned until midday on Friday for Mabunda to be examined by a doctor, then in the afternoon Judge Peter Mabuse postponed the matter to May 4, 2015 for judgment and sentencing.
Mabunda was arrested on August 8 last year following the murder of Miranda Shongile Mayinga last year.
Mabunda has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, rape and kidnapping.
The court heard that the girl was kidnapped from among other school children while walking to school on the morning of on July 29, 2013.
The child was found dead, half naked and lying on her back in the bushes in New Forest, with her socks tied around her neck.
The cause of death was strangulation, which lead to hypoxia.
Mabunda remains in custody.
During a trial within a trial on Thursday, Mabunda testified that he was assaulted and influenced by Mhala police Captain Mahumani and other officials, including Warrant Officer Raymond Severance and a photographer from the Local Criminal Record Centre in Acornhoek, to make a confession and do a pointing out at the scene.
“I was assaulted on my private parts where I have an operation. I did not inform the investigating officer about the matter. I told another police officer but he did not open a criminal case,” he said.
Prosecutor Kenneth Mashile said there was no evidence to prove the police assaulted, threatened or influenced the accused to make a confession.
“The matter was not reported to the investigating officer, Warrant Officer Derrick Mathebula. Warrant Officer Seyerane drove for more than 25km to do the pointing out. He first met the accused at Mhala Police Station.
“He did not assault or feed him with information,” he said.
Mashile said Mahumani's evidence was also clear.
“It does show that when the accused made a confession he was free, sober and without undue influence. Captain Mahumani, when he observed the accused, did not see any injuries. The accused was assaulted by inmates with takkies inside the cells, not by the police,” he said.
Sapa