Cape Town - It has taken nearly three years for the testimony of a man accused of murdering a 19-year-old drum major to be heard.
Charlton Dyers took the witness stand last week at the Mitchells Plain Regional Court.
Additional witnesses are expected to take the stand in Dyers’s defence on January 28.
Dyers has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Chad Arendse.
Arendse was a drum major for the Littlewood Primary Drill Squad and the Western Province Marching Squad.
He had attended the 21st birthday party of a friend in Rocklands when he was shot and killed in June 2019.
Arendse was also involved in the Malay and Christmas choirs, was a member of the Pennsylvanians minstrels and also taught many children. He was to join the South African Navy this year before he died.
Last year Dyers’s legal team asked for the charges to be dismissed, but the court ruled for the continuation of the trial.
Arendse’s mother, Natasha Arendse, said they were relieved that the case had finally reached the witness stage of the defence.
Details of his testimony are yet to be revealed.
“On Thursday, 13 January, the accused took the stand,” she said.
‘’His witnesses are expected to be at court on January 28.
“We are at least seeing the case progressing.”
Court watcher Lina Jones of the Mitchells Plain Residents Association said that despite the delay, they were happy the case had moved to the witness portion.
“It is a concern that the case has been delayed, but I am happy that the processes will be done now and that the witnesses will give an account of the event.”
Weekend Argus