Man who killed mother declared patient of the state
There were emotional scenes in the High Court in Pretoria yesterday when family members of murdered television news anchor Hope Zinde hugged her son Mark Zinde, who beat her to death, after he was declared a state patient.
Zinde smiled shyly as his uncle, aunt, niece and nephews formed a tight circle around him, hugging and stroking him while speaking quietly to him.
His aunt Audrey and uncle Ndima Zinde said they could now only pray that Mark received the medical attention he needed and hoped he would get well one day.
The family said Mark used to be the best behaved child and was the head boy at his school. He received an award for his leadership until he became a recluse who refused to eat, drink, clean himself or leave his room.
One of Mark’s psychiatrists had said he should’ve received attention shortly before the tragic incident and they could not help but wonder if the murder could have been prevented had he received the correct treatment.
Judge Bert Bam ordered that Zinde must be detained at the hospital section of a prison until he could be transferred to the Weskoppies psychiatric hospital as a state patient.
The court ruling followed after a third panel of experts diagnosed Zinde as a schizophrenic with a substance abuse problem who could not follow court proceedings or contribute to his defence.
The judge said there was prima facie proof that Zinde had indeed murdered his mother at their home in Peacanwood Estate near Brits in June 2016, by severely assaulting her.
There was also proof that he was in possession of drugs and a few months later attempted to murder his father, Dr Lebohang Manote, by attacking him with a glass and trying to strangle him, and assaulted his stepmother Mamasedi Maleka at their house in Vereeniging while out on bail.
His mother’s body was discovered in the boot of her car in their garage after family members became worried when they could not reach her.
Zinde was sent to Weskoppies twice before for observation where the same panel of experts found him fit to stand trial, but was only diagnosed as a schizophrenic after he was referred for observation for a third time and a new panel of experts was appointed. –