Cape Town - Internationally acclaimed artist and photographer Zwelethu Mthethwa will go on trial for murder in November, the Western Cape High Court heard on Friday.
William Booth, for Mthethwa, said the trial was expected to run between November 10 and December 10, with the exception of two days.
Eighteen witnesses were expected to testify.
Mthethwa, wearing a thick black jacket over a smart suit, listened closely and stood with his fingers clenched against the dock.
Judge Robert Henney asked Mthethwa, out on R100 000 bail, if he understood that he should be back on that day for trial.
“Yes, yes, your honour,” he said, nodding.
Mthethwa has been charged with the murder of 23-year-old alleged sex worker Nokuphila Kumalo.
The State alleges Mthethwa “kicked and stomped her body repeatedly with a booted foot” in Woodstock last April.
Mthethwa, born in Durban, is known for his large-format colour photographs, paintings, and pastels of people in townships, informal settlements, and rural areas.
He has exhibited widely in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, South Africa, and Switzerland.
Sapa