The Randburg magistrate’s court on Thursday postponed the Elvis Nyathi murder case to August 24 after hearing that the crime scene photographs, post-mortem results and witness statements are still outstanding.
State prosecutor Dinesh Nandkisoor asked the court for more time to investigate further, saying a decision from the office of the director of public prosecutions about transferring the case to the high court for trial is also outstanding.
Nyathi, a Zimbabwean living in South Africa, was beaten and burnt to death in Diepsloot in Johannesburg in April amid xenophobic protests.
Cedrick Raseala, 41, Baron Mashele, 31, Godfrey Mahlo, 31, Thomas Serebane, 53, Phumudzo Tshirangwana, 38, Thabo Makgatho, 32, and Puleng Chipape, 34, are charged with the murder of Nyathi.
They are charged with murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, four counts of assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm, and robbery.
The group is alleged to have also robbed some victims of their belongings and demanded money in exchange for the release of those they had captured.
In April, the accused were granted R3 000 bail each and ordered not to make contact with witnesses. The court also threatened to withdraw their bail if they failed to appear in court.
Initially, there were 14 people arrested in connection with Nyathi’s murder but only seven have been charged. The rest have since been released due to insufficient evidence.
Also read: Zimbabwean man set alight by mob in Diepsloot
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