Delays in Sindiso Magaqa murder trial not good for family, says Bheki Cele

Police Minister Bheki Cele said it was sad to see the delays in the Sindiso Magaqa trial that finally got underway at the Pietermaritzburg High Court.

The minister attended the court case of the slain former ANC Youth League secretary-general on Wednesday.

However, the matter has seen yet another postponement.

The defence wants to conduct its own investigations on the matter and asked for a postponement until September 2022 for a pre-trial.

Minister Cele comments on yet another delay to the #SandisoMagaqa murder case. The case has been postponed for the 15th of September for a pre-trial and end of October for the start of the trial pic.twitter.com/7LQhDfW32m

— Lirandzu Themba (@LirandzuThemba) July 27, 2022

Speaking to journalists outside the Pietermaritzburg High Court, Cele said it would be good to see the matter proceeding but has expressed concern with how advocate Shane Matthews argued for yet another postponement.

“If I were to ask Advocate Matthews a question, I’d ask ‘Do you want this case to start?’ Usually, you don’t find defence so much resisting, I’ve never seen such a resistance.”

Cele said delays were doing not good for Magaqa’s family: “It’s five years already, it would have been better that everyone – for the sake of the deceased, for the sake of the family, for the sake of not a very well mother of Sindiso – to know the story of what really happened.”

Judge Kate Pillay said whether the defence would conclude their probe in September come what may, the matter would continue with trial from October to December.

-EWN

In other news – 55-year-old The River actress Tinah Mnumzana (Sis Flora) speaks on claims she is getting married

The River actress Tinah Mnumzana took to Instagram very quickly to set the record straight after her followers assumed she had tied the knot.

The star said people misunderstood an outfit she wore — one she said was suitable for a “welcoming the bride” ceremony. “Joo Bathong, there seem to be a huge misunderstanding regarding my previous post. Learn More