After that the identity parade issue was out of the way, then the state indicated that it wants the accused moved from the Johannesburg Correctional Services to Johannesburg Central police station where the identity parade will be conducted.
However, a letter from the police, which would enable the accused to be moved, had not been brought to court.
This angered magistrate Betty Khumalo.
“Why is the investigating officer not having the letter ready before court? You have not done your ground work. You have had seven days to draft that letter and get it ready for today,” the magistrate said.
As Khumalo lashed at the state, sex workers and civil society who had come to witness proceeding clapped hands commending the stance she had held.
But kaMsizi said the letter can only be issued on the morning that the accused comes to court, hence it was not ready.
The matter was stood down for about 15 minutes to allow the state to get the letter which was brought before the magistrate and the case was then postponed to later this month.
The accused was arrested on October 8 after six bodies were found at a downtown Johannesburg building which houses panelbeating shop. He has only been linked to the death of one of the women through a video footage and a witness.
dlaminip@sowetan.co.za
Case of man accused of killing sex workers postponed again due to 'unprepared' state
There were glitches when the 20-year-old arrested in connection with the death of a woman believed to be a sex worker appeared in court for the second time on Tuesday as the state was seemingly unprepared.
On Tuesday, the man appeared in the Johannesburg magistrate’s court where he was expected to apply for bail. However, the state revealed that the identity parade had not been done as initially planned.
Prosecutor Tshepo Mahange kaMsizi claimed that the accused refused to do the identity parade but that was disputed by the defence.
“The accused did not refuse to do the identity parade. He availed himself for the identity parade but the person who was supposed to conduct it was not present and had gone to church; it was a Sunday,” said lawyer for the accused Khanyiswa Mkhabe.
She added that the initial date of conducting the identity parade was October 14, but it was moved by the state to Sunday.
After that the identity parade issue was out of the way, then the state indicated that it wants the accused moved from the Johannesburg Correctional Services to Johannesburg Central police station where the identity parade will be conducted.
However, a letter from the police, which would enable the accused to be moved, had not been brought to court.
This angered magistrate Betty Khumalo.
“Why is the investigating officer not having the letter ready before court? You have not done your ground work. You have had seven days to draft that letter and get it ready for today,” the magistrate said.
As Khumalo lashed at the state, sex workers and civil society who had come to witness proceeding clapped hands commending the stance she had held.
But kaMsizi said the letter can only be issued on the morning that the accused comes to court, hence it was not ready.
The matter was stood down for about 15 minutes to allow the state to get the letter which was brought before the magistrate and the case was then postponed to later this month.
The accused was arrested on October 8 after six bodies were found at a downtown Johannesburg building which houses panelbeating shop. He has only been linked to the death of one of the women through a video footage and a witness.
dlaminip@sowetan.co.za