No psych bed for accused
A THREE-month wait for a hospital bed has delayed the murder trial of a 33-year-old man who is accused of killing his girlfriend earlier this year.
The accused, Siyanda Gxwati, made a brief appearance in the Northern Cape High Court yesterday, when the matter was remanded until late November to allow him to be admitted for psychiatric evaluation.
Currently out on bail, Gxwati has been charged with killing 27-year-old Refilwe Letebele at her parents’ home in Barkly Road in January this year.
Letebele was stabbed seven times before her throat was slit.
Gxwati’s case was yesterday remanded until the end of November to enable him to undergo psychiatric observation, which is likely to only be after approximately 90 days as his name is currently 24th on the waiting list.
Immediately following the alleged attack on the well-known young woman, Gxwati turned the knife on himself, stabbing himself 16 times. He also attempted to cut his own throat, which left him hospitalised for almost a week.
During an earlier appearance in the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court, the emotional 33-year-old needed a few moments of silence to compose himself before starting with his oral testimony.
He explained to the court that while in hospital he had received psychiatric counselling to help him deal with what had happened, adding that if he was granted bail he wanted to reside with his mother in Bloemfontein.
Meanwhile, State psychiatrist, Dr Keith Kirimi, said that he had been inundated with patients requiring urgent treatment for a variety of mental health issues.
“The waiting list is hectic,” he said yesterday, adding that there had been a multitude of recent suicide attempts and acute psychotic episodes as well as patients suffering from major depression.