The case involving the 20-year-old man accused of having lured at least six women to his family panel-beating factory in Selby in Joburg has been postponed once again.
This time, the case has been mired by a range of delays including conducting of the identity parade and the request to move the accused from Johannesburg Correctional Services to Johannesburg Central Police Station. The parade which is yet to be done even though it was confirmed for October 14 has resulted in the case being moved to next week.
The NPA was given a tongue lashing by Magistrate Betty Khumalo who decried the NPA’s lack of preparation.
With scores of people singing and chanting outside the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court yesterday, the accused Sifiso Mkhwanazi made a brief appearance at the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court for what was supposed to be his bail hearing. The magistrate indicated that the State seemed unprepared following reports that it was yet to conduct an identity parade.
Prosecutor Tshepo Mahange kaMsizi claimed that the accused refused to do the identity parade but that was disputed by the defence. It was reported that the parade should have been conducted on October 14, but that did not happen and it was then moved to October 16 which was a Sunday.
The lawyer for the accused Khanyiswa Mkhabe said it was not the fault of her client as her client was available to do the parade.
“The accused did not refuse to do the identity parade. He availed himself for the identity parade but the person who was supposed to conduct it was not present and had gone to church; it was a Sunday.”
Another issue that got the magistrate fuming was the request to move the accused from Johannesburg Correctional Services to Johannesburg Central Police Station where the identity parade would take place.
However, a letter from the police, which would enable the accused to be moved, had not been brought to court. This angered Khumalo, who asked why the latter was not made available.
“Why is the investigating officer not having the letter ready before court? You have not done your ground work. You have had seven days to draft that letter and get it ready for today,” the magistrate said.
The case also came to a standstill for about 15 minutes to allow the State to get the letter which was brought before the magistrate and the case was then postponed to October 25.
Following this blunder, the NPA said the delay and lack of progress did not do well to instil public confidence in the work of the State. NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane conceded that the prosecutor was not well-prepared, which is something that needed to change.
With the delay in proceedings, the Sisonke Sex Workers’ movement complained that the State was failing the more than 13 women reported missing who could be linked to the accused.
“We are not being taken seriously. How could they not prepare themselves knowing the risk this man poses to society? We believe that more victims are coming forth so we hope that on the 25th more charges are going to be laid against the suspect,” said spokesperson for the movement Katlego Rasebitse outside court.