The six suspects charged with the Ngcobo police station murder in the Eastern Cape will go on trial in April next year. They face charges which include murder, attempted murder, armed robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery and murder.
On Monday, the judiciary and the parents of the suspects – who are facing multiple murder charges – have failed to convince five of the six accused to consider legal representation.
The Mthatha High Court in the Eastern Cape had to adjourn to give state prosecutors and parents time to tell the accused about the significance of legal representation.
Five accused maintain their stance that they will conduct their own self-defence. Only Phuthumile Mancoba has opted for legal representation.
Phuthumile is one of the three surviving so called ‘angels at kwaMancoba’.
NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tyali says the state has done what it can.
“As the state, we were not opposed to that because we felt that it is in the interest of justice for them to be legally represented but they maintained that they do not want a lawyer to represent them. Advocate for the state did even go out to try and persuade them during the adjournment, showing them how dire and how serious are the charges and the consequences of them representing themselves but they maintained that they do not want the lawyer.”
