Muzikayise Malephane faces premeditated murder charges for Tshegofatso Pule's death, she was found hanging from a tree in Durban Deep with multiple stab wounds. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
The case of Muzikayise Malephane accused of murdering an eight-month pregnant Tshegofatso Pule has been postponed to 29 September 2020.
After multiple delays in the case, the 31-year-old appeared at the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court on premeditated murder charges.
On 2 July, his case was postponed for the second time by Magistrate John Baloyi as the court was being decontaminated after two police officers had tested positive for Covid-19.
The National Prosecutions Authority (NPA) had said all cases which were supposed to be heard on the day in court have been postponed to 9 July.
However, the NPA informed the media that the case had been postponed in “absentia” to 23 July, after a group of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) members and supporters of the family gathered outside the court last Thursday.
This prompted a response from EFF leader Julius Malema as he slammed the court over the date mix-up for the case.
According to NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonodwane, they too were only informed about the postponement in the morning on the day.
It was previously reported that Malephane had informed the court that he was abandoning the services of a Legal Aid lawyer in favour of a private attorney.
He also refused to apply for bail.
Malephane was arrested on 17 June while travelling to Mpumalanga. Pule’s body was found stabbed and hanging in a tree in the veld in Roodepoort.
Pule was last seen on 4 June when she left her boyfriend’s home in Soweto. Her body was found by a community member and the story sent shockwaves around the country, with many people calling for swift justice.
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