Vuyiswa Leeuw’s case was postponed on Wednesday (28/1) for director of public prosecutions (DPP) instructions, after she spent Christmas and New Year in custody. Her bail application was rejected in December after the state argued that Onkarabetse Leeuw’s murder was planned and carried out in revenge.

A court case is postponed for a DPP decision when the prosecution and police have completed their preliminary investigation and sent the docket to the office of the DPP for final review.

The case is put on hold, and a new court date is set to allow the DPP to review the evidence and decide whether to proceed with the prosecution or drop the charges.

“We can confirm that the accused has appeared in court and the matter has been postponed to February for the DPP’s decision on this matter,” said Free State NPA spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane.

The 29-year-old is facing charges of kidnapping and murder of a family member’s five-year-old, Onkarabetse. He was laid to rest in the Glen cemetery on 20 November, next to his second-cousin Katleho. On the same day, Leeuw’s case was postponed due to its high profile and public interest.

Leeuw’s daughter, Katleho, 3, was reported missing in October. A passer-by found her body two days later in dense vegetation near the settlement north of Bloemfontein.

At a previous court appearance, the defence argued that Leeuw’s six-month pregnancy was a high risk, and she wasn’t getting proper medical attention in custody; this was disputed by the state.

Onkarabetse’s mother, Rethabile, 20, a cousin of Leeuw, reported her son missing at the Glen police station on Saturday, 8 November. After an extensive search, his body was found four days later under a cardboard box in dense vegetation on the southern outskirts of the settlement.

The mothers of the two young victims are cousins who both live in Glen. It is alleged that Leeuw kidnapped and murdered Onkarabetse because Katleho was allegedly kidnapped and murdered by a close family member of Onkarabetse.

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OFM News/Zenande Mpame cvs