The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has described the delay of the pre-trial in a case of two farmers accused of killing a Coligny teenager as frustrating.
Pieter Dooreward and Phillip Schutte appeared in the North West High Court in Mahikeng yesterday to face seven charges, including murder.
The two allegedly killed Matlhomola Mosweu in April at Scotland informal settlement in Coligny after accusing him of stealing sunflower seeds. Yesterday, Dooreward and Schutte's attorney Hennie du Plessis told the court that they were not ready for a pre-trial because they cannot read some of the statements that the witness had made.
NPA spokesman Frank Lesenyego said after the case was transferred from the lower court to the high court, the prosecutor on the case made a courtesy call to the defence on November 7 to come and collect the statements.
The case was transferred to the high court by the Coligny Magistrate's Court.
'Sunflower murder' delays anger NPA
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has described the delay of the pre-trial in a case of two farmers accused of killing a Coligny teenager as frustrating.
Pieter Dooreward and Phillip Schutte appeared in the North West High Court in Mahikeng yesterday to face seven charges, including murder.
The two allegedly killed Matlhomola Mosweu in April at Scotland informal settlement in Coligny after accusing him of stealing sunflower seeds. Yesterday, Dooreward and Schutte's attorney Hennie du Plessis told the court that they were not ready for a pre-trial because they cannot read some of the statements that the witness had made.
NPA spokesman Frank Lesenyego said after the case was transferred from the lower court to the high court, the prosecutor on the case made a courtesy call to the defence on November 7 to come and collect the statements.
The case was transferred to the high court by the Coligny Magistrate's Court.
Lesenyego said the defence only came to collect statements two days before the court appearance. He said they were disappointed and believe it was one of the defence tricks to delay the case.
"It's a delay tactic, they said some of the statements were not readable but we gave them plenty of time to check it, this could have been avoided before the court date," he said.
Judge Samkelo Gura ordered the defence to hand back the statements that were not readable.
The case was postponed to December 11 for a pre-trial.