Johannesburg - The case against the son of slain former journalist and SABC board member Hope Zinde was postponed in the Vereeniging Magistrate's Court on Thursday.
Mark Zinde is facing a charge of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm for allegedly attacking his father, Dr Lebohang Mohale Manoto.
He is also facing a charge of murder in another court for allegedly murdering his mother Hope Zinde, 50, in June. It is alleged that on November 6‚ Mark attacked his father with a glass. Manoto was reading a newspaper at his home in Walkerville‚ south of Johannesburg‚ when his son allegedly struck him with the glass in his face.
On Thursday, Zinde's defence lawyer asked the court to allow him to make arrangements for his client to undergo psychiatric observation. Francois Joubert asked the court to postpone the matter to December 29 as they are still waiting for a referral letter from the doctor.
During Zinde's last court appearance, Joubert abandoned his bail application citing that they needed their own psychiatric report to be made available to the court. Zinde was released on bail of R10 000 in September in the murder case, but was sent back to prison after the alleged assault.
His mother, Hope Zinde, went missing for several days before her body was found stuffed in the boot of a car at Pecanwood Estate in Hartbeespoort‚ North West.
A previous psychiatric assessment declared that Zinde was fit to stand trial and was capable of understanding court proceedings. The report further stated that he did not suffer from any mental disorder when he allegedly killed his mother.
The defence is disputing the psychiatric report from Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital. Zinde is expected back in the Vereeniging magistrate's court on December 29.
He will appear in the Brits Magistrate's Court for the murder case on December 19.