THE Tsheseng Magistrates Court in the Free State refused Daily Sun's request to photograph the accused at the much-anticipated bail hearing of Letho Kgwathane (32).
This after Kgwathane's lawyer argued in court that it was not the interest of justice to photograph the accused while the state was still conducting an identification exercise and investigations were ongoing.
Although the state prosecutor did not object to the process, the court said that the investigation should be conducted without any media interference.
Letho allegedly killed his gogo and buried her in a shallow grave and continued collecting and using her Sassa money.
He was charged with defeating the ends of justice and violation of a body after he showed the police where he buried his gogo, burnt her clothes and placed firewood on the grave.
The 88-year-old gogo, Makahlolo Kganya-Kgwathane, was buried on Thursday, 27 July.
Family spokeswoman Marriam Kgwathane said the suspect was a dangerous person to the family.
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"The accused was very abusive to the deceased. Our effort to intervene never materialized. He used to lock the granny in the house without food and go spent her Sassa grant with friends, buying alcohol. The deceased loved him because he is an orphan. His mother died more than 15 years ago," she said.
The family believes that the accused killed the gogo, and buried her to avoid jail.
The chieftess of Malekunutu Village, Makantoro Molaba made it clear that the accused was officially chased out of the village.
Ward councillor Sabata Sothwane, said the fact that the granny was an elderly citizen, she was supposed to have had a female person looking after her.
The case has been postponed to Tuesday, 15 August for further investigations.
