Psychiatric evaluation of Zinde’s son still underway

[caption id="attachment_152741" align="alignright" width="300"] Hope Zinde and her son Mark in a picture she posted on Facebook on his birthday last year. Image by: Supplied[/caption]

The case against Warona Mark Zinde‚ arrested a month ago for allegedly murdering his mother‚ Hope Zinde‚ has been postponed to August 10.

Zinde did not appear at the Brits Regional Court‚ in the North West‚ as expected on Monday.

A court official said Zinde‚ 23‚ was still undergoing psychiatric evaluation at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital. A report on his mental state will be availed to court next month too.

On June 18‚ magistrate Lourens Mattiah postponed the case to Monday following a submission by Zinde's lawyer‚ Mogorosi Molusi‚ to have him admitted at Weskoppies.

He has been at the institution since then. The Zinde family supported his admission to Weskoppies.

Molusi could not be reached for comment on Monday morning. His phone went straight to voicemail.

Hope Zinde‚ who was 50 years old‚ was laid to rest in Pretoria East last month.

She was found dead in the boot of her car at the Pecanwood Estate near Hartbeespoort Dam.

Warona‚ a student at a Pretoria college‚ was arrested soon after the discovery of her body. Police charged him with one count of murder and another of possession of illegal drugs.

Hope started off as a broadcast journalist at the South African Broadcasting Corporation in 1991. Parliament appointed her to the board of the public broadcaster in 2013.

Communications Minister Faith Muthambi fired her along with colleagues Rachel Kalidass and Ronnie Lubisi for allegedly not supporting the appointment of the controversial Hlaudi Motsoeneng as chief operations officer.

– TMG Digital/Sowetan