High Court Judge Papi Mosopa has lambasted the conduct of the defence counsel in the Wandile Bozwana murder case. This after the defence requested a further postponement to the sentencing procedure which was scheduled to start on Wednesday at the North Gauteng High Court.
The matter has been postponed to the 6th of December to allow expert witnesses to compile a report in mitigation of sentence. This after three months since the court found Vusi Khekhe Mathibela, Sipho Hudla, Robert Mutapa and Bonginkosi Khumalo guilty of the 2015 murder of North West Businessman Wandile Bozwana.
The matter has taken five years to wrap up. The defence sought yet another postponement, saying a report by a psychologist and a probation officer, in mitigation of sentencing, is outstanding. This after the court had granted them a postponement to finalise this aspect of the case.
Judge Papi Mosopa warned the defence that the postponement he granted on Wednesday is the final one and that sentencing procedures would commence from the 6th to the 9th of December.
“This type of conduct on the side of the defence is completely unacceptable and needs to be condemned in all strongest possible terms. MS Cronje in my considered view was right when she suggested that the accused can simply place whatever they want to place through the expert by taking a stand and testifying. This matter is adjourned from the 6th to the 9th of December 2022 for sentencing proceedings and this postponement is marked as final,” says Judge Mosopa.
Vusi Khekhe Mathibela, Sipho Hudla, Robert Mutapa and Bonginkosi Khumalo were linked to the murder of Bozwana through CCTV records that placed them in Sandton where Bozwana was on the day of his murder, cellphone records that also located them there and also a confession by three of the accused which they later said they were coerced to make by the police.
It’s been three months since the court found the accused guilty.
