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Rhodes Park trial delayed after accused falls ill

Gavel
Gavel

The trial of three suspects implicated in the Rhodes Park double murder had to be postponed on Monday after one of the accused fell ill.

Defence counsel Robert Xaba for Edmor Ndlovu this morning filed a J7 application at the Palm Ridge High Court to Acting Judge Jonas Mosopa with the aim of ensuring that his client‚ who has breathing problems‚ is attended to by medical staff when he arrives at Johannesburg’s Sun City prison on Monday afternoon.

If this arrangement fails‚ the court will then order a local district surgeon to assist Ndlovu inside or outside of prison.

Xaba said that Ndlovu had been sick since his arrest late last year in connection with the murder of Sizwe Tyeke and his friend Zukisa Kela and the rape of their female partners at Kensington’s Rhodes Park in October 2015. Ndlovu‚ Thabo Nkala and Mduduzi Mathibela are on trial without bail for the incident.

Xaba said his client has recently been undergoing medical tests and was put on medication while in prison. “The results are not out yet and we suspect that he could be asthmatic or has TB because he was really struggling to walk up the stairs into the courtroom‚” Xaba told Sowetan.

Ndolvu walked into the court in a grey hoodie with the words “Dope Shit” on the chest‚ keeping his eyes firmly on the ground. He started coughing once he reached his seat in the dock.

State prosecutor Monde Mbaqa was unimpressed at the postponement. “The state is ready to proceed. We are not happy about this because it took us a lot of time to get all the witnesses here. Some of them are working people‚” Mbaqa said. — TMG Digital/SowetanLIVE

 

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