The trial of three men accused of raping two women and drowning their husbands in a lake at Rhodes Park was again postponed on Tuesday after one of the accused was admitted to hospital.
Advocate Robert Xaba for ailing accused Edmore Ndlovu, told the High Court sitting at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court that his client had been admitted at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.
On Monday Ndlovu complained of chest pains which he said were making it difficult to breadth. As a result the matter was postponed to Tuesday, but the condition of the ailing accused worsened.
Ndlovu (23) and his co-accused Thabo Nkala (25) and Mduduzi Lawrence Mathibela (32) are accused of the sickening attack on two couples in Rhodes Park, Kensington.
The three accused were allegedly part of a 12-man gang that accosted and robbed the couples on 17 October 2015. The gang forced the husbands into the lake, where they drowned, and sexually assaulted and raped their wives.
Both women have already told the court how they were attacked as their husbands drowned in the nearby lake.
On Tuesday Xaba said of the ailing accused: “The diagnosis is not yet know, we plan to call the hospital and find the doctor who is handling his matter so that he can give us a proper diagnosis and how long he will be kept in hospital. Tomorrow we will give the court full details”.
Addressing the other two accused Nkala and Mathibela, Judge Papi Masopa said: “Unfortunately we don’t know the severity of his condition and we will only know tomorrow, so it will be improper to continue without accused number 2 (Ndlovu)”.
The three men have been charged with robbery with aggravating circumstances, rape and murder. They all have pleaded not guilty to all charges. They remain remanded in custody.
Judge Masopa postponed the matter to Wednesday.
The other suspects are still on the run. Reports suggest that two others have been arrested in neighbouring Zimbabwe, where they are awaiting extradition to South Africa.
South Africa Today – South Africa News
