Sibusiso Zitha, the killer of pastry princess Chef Thembekile Letlape, will spend the holidays in jail after the court once again delayed his case until January.
After a postponement in November, Zitha appeared in the Randburg magistrate’s court on Tuesday morning.
In November, the docket remained with the director of public prosecutions, and the case was rescheduled for additional investigation.
On Tuesday, the state claimed that it did not have sufficient knowledge of the case because Yusuf Baba, the senior prosecutor handling the case, was not present in court.
Zitha’s attorney, Nthabiseng Dubazana, informed Sunday World that forensic investigations, Zitha’s child’s assessment report, and other investigations were still pending.
Lead prosecutor skips proceedings
“We initially objected to the postponement in court considering how long the matter has been on the roll and because during the bail application, the child’s statement was used,” Dubazana said.
“I am assuming the state is thinking of using the child as a witness. That’s the only reason I can think of for them waiting for an assessment report.”
She added that although the magistrate had taken note of the objection, the court was powerless to prevent the postponement because the lead prosecutor was not present and they lacked information.
“We do hope that next year there will be more information, and if there is no conclusion to the investigations, the court hopefully will consider our objection for today, and the matter most probably would be struck off the role.”
According to Dubazana, if the matter is struck off, it will remain removed until the state has completed its investigations and reached a decision.
She also stated that she hoped the court would decide whether to send the case to the high court in 2025.
“In the event that they do not, it is likely that our client may be released up until the investigations have been concluded.”
Mood swings and depression
In October, Zitha stated in his bail affidavit that he understood the ramifications of his confession and that he intended to enter a guilty plea to the charges against him.
The accused has been incarcerated since June after Letlape was discovered dead on May 30 at Zitha’s home in Fourways, Johannesburg.
Zitha stated in his confession that Letlape confronted him while he was reading a book and sipping wine on the patio the day of the murder.
According to him, Letlape yelled and made derogatory comments about his deceased parents.
Zitha stated in his confession that Letlape experienced mood swings and depression.
They were both intoxicated the entire day of the murder, and Letlape’s mood deteriorated as the hours went by, he said.
Also Read: Killer of pastry princess Chef Thembekile Letlape denied bail
