The bail hearing of six men accused of murdering Gauteng health official Babita Deokaran has hit a snag after recording equipment did not function properly, leading to a postponement on Tuesday.

The group appeared in the Johannesburg magistrate’s court on charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder and the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

However, due to equipment malfunctioning, the court was forced to postpone the case against Phakamani Hadebe, 28, Zitha Hadebe, 30, Nhlangano Ndlovu, 25, Sanele Mbele 25, Siphiwe Mazibuko, 24, and Phakanyiswe Dladla, 25.

“We are informed that the recording machine is working and the recorded material cannot be stored into the server. The defence came with a suggestion that the court should use the old system of recording the proceedings in handwriting or allow the clerk of the court to burn the audio into a compact disc,” said National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane.

“As the state, we argued that going that route comes with a lot of technical glitches. We know that in criminal proceedings, minor technicalities may lead to the accused benefiting unduly. We have argued that it would be a risky process to allow handwriting or utilise the disc.”

Deokaran was killed in a hail of bullets in August, minutes after she had dropped off her child at school. She was rushed to hospital where she later died.

Her killing is believed to be linked to her being outspoken and a key witness in the investigation into dodgy personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts in the province.

The case was postponed to next month.