Cape High Court Judge Nathan Erasmus wants no more delays in the Sizzlers massacre trial which was scheduled to have started on Tuesday, but was postponed to Wednesday.
The postponement was requested by prosecutor Anthony Stephen, who told the court time was needed to discuss strategies with the defence team to shorten the trial.
The judge responded that "the state has 89 witnesses, and I don't want any further delays".
Before the court are Waterfront waiter Adam Roy Woest, 27, and taxi operator Trevor Bazil Theys, 43.
The hearing is a sequel to an alleged armed robbery at the Sizzlers Sea Point premises in February last year when nine masseurs were shot dead and had their throats slit.
A 10th masseur, Quinton Taylor, survived the incident and managed to stagger to a nearby petrol station from where the police were alerted.
Erasmus said he would allow Tuesday's proceedings to be postponed to Wednesday, as it was normal for the prosecution and defence teams to use the first day of the trial to discuss ways to shorten the proceedings.
At the hearing a month ago, Woest and Theys were referred for 30 days psychiatric observation to establish whether they were able to understand the proceedings in terms of mental disorders legislation.
A psychiatric panel was also to establish whether the two had diminished criminal responsibility.
Stephen said the case was sufficiently bizarre to justify the referral for psychiatric observation.
When the hearing starts on Wednesday a psychiatric report is to be handed into the court and Stephen is expected to summarise the facts to the court. - Sapa