Tonga - A pastor accused of assaulting a 79-year-old woman who lost two teeth as they argued over a stray soccer ball could walk free if the State does not get its house in order, an Mpumalanga magistrate warned on Friday.
The pastor, Bongani Nkuna, appeared in the Tonga Magistrate's Court on a charge of assault on Friday, a Sapa correspondent reported.
Senior magistrate Sam Nkuna asked State prosecutor Vicky Nkuna why the case was dragging on for so long.
“I only received the docket now and I am new to the case. I cannot explain why the docket had been missing,” prosecutor Nkuna told the magistrate.
The accused, the prosecutor and the magistrate have the same name but none are related.
Magistrate Nkuna pointed out that the docket had been missing for a long time and that the case had many witnesses who had been travelling to the court for nothing.
He said this was a waste of government resources.
The accused has not been asked to plead to the charge of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
He was arrested on August 14, 2013 in connection with assaulting Ritah Khumalo, 79, who lives in the same area.
He is out on warning.
Magistrate Nkuna postponed the case to December 8 for further investigation, but warned that the State should be ready next time the case was heard in court.
Sapa