The start date for the trial of the man accused of the rape and murder of eight-year-old Tazne van Wyk has been postponed to May 16, 2022, in the High Court in Cape Town.
Moyhdian Pangkaeker made a brief appearance in court on Monday.
Van Wyk from Elsies River went missing from near her parents’ home more than a year ago.
Her body was found dumped in a stormwater drain in the Boland days later. The little girl’s murder sparked widespread outrage.
The alleged killer was a parolee with a long list of previous convictions. He was arrested in Cradock in the Eastern Cape, a week after the child’s disappearance.
Pangkaeker has 11 previous convictions including child neglect, murder and theft, that date back as far as the 1980s.
Cyril Ramaphosa
Last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa said Pangarker should have never been released on parole.
Ramaphosa met with the family of the little girl, saying the suspect should not be granted bail and must receive a lengthy prison sentence.
VIDEO: President Cyril Ramphosa addresses crowds outside Van Wyk’s family home:
