THE murder case against a primary school teacher, Sandile Mbatha, has caught the interest of the public and media.
On Monday, 4 March, the media requested the court to be granted access to cover court proceedings.
Mbatha is accused of killing two Soweto boys, Tshidiso Ramatlo and Katleho Letseli, over VW Polo lights.
The case has seen another postponement. This after the media requested to cover the proceedings , including taking photographs and video footage where necessary and allowed.
Before the sitting of the matter, which was set for trial to start on Monday, 4 March, Judge Coertse informed the gallery that he had received a letter for media coverage permission.
He asked the state attorney what his thoughts on the application were.
Advocate Monde Mbaqa said: ”As far as the state is concerned, this is an open court. An open court means that everyone is welcome to sit, listen and view the proceedings. That is in the spirit of justice. I have no objections to the request.”
Representing the accused, defence counsel Lumka Qoqo said: “ I would like to oppose to the publication, especially the photographs of the accused. The defence doesn’t oppose the media being here but the photos of the accused. I am opposing the camera’s to be in court.
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Qoqo said that her argument is based on the fact that the accused is a teacher, and he teaches grade 4 up to 7.
“Any publication on this matter will traumatise the pupils. The accused is still carrying on with his duties as a teacher,” she said.
Mbaqa raised that while Qoqo is worried about the school children, what about the families of the victims.
“The court must strike a balance here. The families of the deceased also have an interest to know what is happening in the proceedings,” he said.
Qoqo requested that she be given more time to go and prepare for proper opposition so that the court will make a well-informed decision on the argument.
She said that she will be ready for the argument on Friday, 8 March.
The matter was postponed to Friday, 8 March and the accused’s bail is extended until that day.
The families of the murdered boys were left shattered that someone who allegedly killed their children doesn’t want his face be known to the public, while he allegedly killed their children in a gruesome way and never thought of the consequences.
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