Rape and murder accused again refuses to appear

A man accused of raping his ex-girlfriend and killing her new boyfriend had his case postponed again yesterday, when he refused to leave the holding cells of the Port Elizabeth High Court.

It was not the first time the man, who cannot be named until he has pleaded, caused a stir in court.

On at least four previous occasions, he refused to enter the dock.

Among his demands are that he be tried in a Zimbabwean court, that he be unshackled before entering the court and that he be escorted by Xhosa-speaking correctional services officers only.

Already serving a 12-year sentence for robbery with aggravating circumstances, the man is further charged with two counts of rape, murder, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, kidnapping and housebreaking with the intent to assault.

State prosecutor Jason Thysse told presiding officer Jannie Eksteen that the man simply refused to cooperate.

“The accused is refusing to come up the stairs or to cooperate,” Thysse said.
Advocate Chris Nel told Eksteen that he was still mandated to represent the man.

“You need to inform your client it is in his best interests to be present in court,” Eksteen told Nel.

According to the charge sheet, the man went to the Motherwell house where his ex-girlfriend was staying with her new boyfriend.

He kicked down the door, went into the bedroom and beat the boyfriend to death with an iron rod.

He then kidnapped the woman and took her to a friend’s house close by, where he raped her twice.

While at the house where the murder took place, he also stabbed another woman.

Eksteen told Nel to inform his client that the trial would continue with or without him.

The matter was postponed to Monday.