CONVICTED murderer Romoula Brown (45) will know his fate on Tuesday, 22 August.
This after his lawyer Keabetswe Mokotedi did not arrive in the Mbombela High Court on Monday, 21 August, for sentencing proceedings.
Addressing the court, state Advocate Beauty Chibangu said she was only informed this morning that Mokotedi wasn't in court and didn't know the reasons why.
"Where I am now standing my Lord, I don't know the reasons why he is not in court, and I don't see the instructing attorney. It seems to me Mr Mokotedi has no respect for the court as a senior counsel. He was supposed to have at least written an email or something and not to call this morning to say, I am not coming to court," she said.
Judge Takalani Ratshibvumo gave Brown options to make a call to his lawyer, proceed in his absence or terminate his service and get another lawyer.
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But Brown asked the court to give him time to contact his lawyer and find out what was happening.
The matter was rolled over to Tuesday, 22 August for the defence lawyer to be in court.
Brown was found guilty in June for premeditated murder and contravention of a protection order.
This relates to an incident where the accused had assaulted his ex-lover Nomthandazo Mnguni (30) and further poured petrol on her, then set her alight at her home in Dwaleni, KaBokweni in 2021.
He told the court that after setting her alight, he then walked away and went into hiding for days before he was arrested.
Mnguni succumbed to her injuries a few days after the incident in hospital.
Brown and Mnguni had separated for three years before the incident occurred.
The family of the victim said seeing their sister's killer every time they came to court opened old wounds.
Bongiwe Mnguni, who is the sister of the deceased, said they had thought that they would finally close the chapter.
"Coming here and facing him breaks us," she said.
