Eastern Cape – The load-shedding affected the proceedings at East London High Court, where the suitcase murder accused Alutha Pasile was making an appearance.
The Pasile matter was set up for 9 in the morning but was heard at 12 midday, three hours later.
Gender-Based Violence activists said it was unacceptable for the court not to have provisions to carry on with its task when there’s no electricity.
Pasile appeared in court as part of pre-trial procedures following his consultation with the Legal Aid Lawyer, Ncumisa Dyantyi.
Dyantyi took on the Pasile matter on behalf of the Legal Aid Board after he changed his earlier decision of not seeking a lawyer and conducting his own defense for his murder trial.
The 25-year-old Pasile was charged for the murder of the University of Fort Hare, Nosicelo Matebeni who was the final year law student, and his girlfriend.
He is also facing a charge of defeating the ends of justice after he dismembered Matebeni’s body parts and put them in a suitcase which he dumped on the side of the road.
The couple was sharing a room together in a commune at Quigney in East London when this callous crime was committed.
In his previous court appearances, Pasile abandoned his bail application and told the court that he would represent himself.
As the matter entered the pre-trial stage, the high court Judge Michelle Beneke who has been appointed to preside over this case invited Pasile to tell the court on whether he was still going to conduct his own defense or if he requires the services of a lawyer.
This was after the state indicated its readiness to take the matter for the trial.
Before Judge Beneke Pasile told the court that he will no longer conduct his own defense but needed a lawyer from the Legal Aid Board.
Arrangements were made between the state prosecutor Nickie Turner and the East London office of the Legal Aid Board to put an application on his behalf and Dyantyi was assigned to represent him.
During his court appearance on Tuesday [today] both parties said they are ready to go on trial from 29 November, a date that was first put forward by the NPA’s Turner.
But some activists against Gender-Based Violence expressed frustrations with the delays on this matter.
Rianna Oelofsen who is the founder of Stand As One Against GBV and a member of the GBV task team at the University of Fort Hare said these delays are an injustice to the Fort Hare students and Matebeni family.
“I feel that there are unnecessary delays in this case. Even this morning there was a delay to hear the case because of load shedding which I think it’s absolutely unacceptable. The courts must make provisions so that all cases can go ahead,” said Oelofsen.
Last week Fort Hare students also voiced their frustrations with the delays on this matter and said it was difficult for them to balance their studies with picketing outside the court.
The matter is set for trial from 29 November and Pasile remains at incarceration.
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