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Dewani murder accused takes ill

Has the flu

The failure of the Pollsmoor Prison authorities to inform the police that one of the men accused of the murder of Anni Dewani has taken ill today led to a delay in proceedings in the Wynberg Regional Court.

Dewani was shot dead while on honeymoon with her husband Shrien in Cape Town last year.

The husband, who allegedly hired a group of men to hijack his vehicle and then shoot dead his wife, is currently fighting extradition proceedings in the United Kingdom.

Wednesday's proceedings would have commenced at 9am, when Mziwamadoda Qwabe and Xolile Mngeni were scheduled to appear before Magistrate Jackie Redelinghuys.

However only Mngeni had been brought to court from Pollsmoor prison, and no one knew where Qwabe was.

It took about an hour for the investigating detective to establish that Qwabe had taken ill, apparently with influenza, and that he had been hospitalised at the prison.

The purpose of Wednesday’s proceeding had been to merely remand both men again while the Western Cape Directorate for Public Prosecutions decided whether the men were to go on trial in the Regional Court or the High Court.

The case was postponed in any event to June 13 for Qwabe to recover from his illness and join Mngeni in the dock.

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