The state prosecutor requested Magistrate Amos Moos for a further postponement in order to have time to prepare before the state's investigators testify in the bail hearing against the nine suspects.

The postponement comes as all nine suspects had their founding affidavits read in court by their legal representative, Johny Fixane. OFM News previously reported that all nine suspects have pleaded not guilty to all charges against them and want the court to release them on bail. The case was postponed to Monday 13 December 2021 for a further bail hearing.

All suspects appealed to Magistrate Moos to release them on bail owing to their varying personal circumstances. The charges were made on 30 November 2021 after the discovery of a decomposed body along the R26 road between Wepener and Hobhouse. The suspects appeared on Tuesday in the Wepener Magistrate's Court, however, the police are still on a manhunt for other suspects believed to be involved in the above-mentioned charges. 

On 2 December, the nine suspects made their first appearance at the Wepener Magistrate's Court, but the case was postponed to today, 7 December. The reason for the postponement was to grant the state an opportunity to verify the authenticity and validity of the Lesotho nationals' passports; as among the nine suspects, two are from Lesotho.

OFM News