On Now
Weekdays 12:00 - 15:00
At Lunch Pulane
NEXT: 15:00 - 18:00 The Joyride with Nico, Nikki, Kayla and JayBee
Listen Live Streams

Local News

Hope Zinde’s son appears in court for murder, referred for psychiatric evaluation

───   12:13 Fri, 17 Jun 2016

Hope Zinde’s son appears in court for murder, referred for psychiatric evaluation | News Article

The son of former SABC board member Hope Zinde was on the verge of being referred to a drug rehabilitation centre before he allegedly killed his mother, the Brits regional court heard on Friday.


Mark Warona Zinde is facing charges of murder and illegal possession of drugs. He is accused of killing his mother, 50, at their home in Pecanwood Estate near Hartbeespoort Dam in North West. He was also allegedly found in possession of drugs with an estimated street value of R350.

The body of media personality Hope Zinde was found inside the boot of her car on June 11. She was believed to have been killed days before her body was discovered.

Zinde’s lawyer Daniel Molusi told the court that his client’s mother had as early as June 4 made arrangements for her son to be admitted to a drug rehabilitation centre.

Applying for Zinde to be referred for mental evaluation, Molusi read an affidavit from Hope Zinde’s mother. In the affidavit, she requests the court to send her grandson for mental observation, citing the fact that this was her daughter’s plan all along after her son became withdrawn, refused to communicate, locked himself in his room. The affidavit also states that Zinde became aggressive and violent.

“The accused resisted his mother’s plan to send him to a rehabilitation centre due to his mental ill-health. The accused was a danger to himself and others,” Molusi said.

He further told the court that Mark Zinde allegedly grabbed his mother by her collar on June 8. On June 11, he refused to allow the security officer to grant his grandmother access to his mother’s home in Pecanwood.

She only gained access to her daughter’s home after the police were called and made the gruesome discovery. The State did not oppose the application and regional court magistrate Lawrance Matthee ordered that he be referred to Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital in Pretoria.

The case was postponed to July 18.

Earlier, Mark Zinde walked into court dressed in a winter coat over a navy-blue suit with a white shirt. He briefly glanced at the packed public gallery where two of his former school mates where seated. While proceedings were underway he sat in the dock with his hands folded, occasionally touching his forehead and looking to the cameras in front of him.

ANA

@ 2024 OFM - All rights reserved Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | We Use Cookies - OFM is a division of Central Media Group (PTY) LTD.