Case might be thrown out, magistrate warns

A MITCHELLS Plain man charged with several counts of rape, murder and attempted murder, could walk out of the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court a free man next week if prosecuting authorities fail to get their ducks in a row.

Magistrate Welile Rixana has given prosecutors only a few days to have the matter enrolled for trial – either in the Wynberg Regional Court or the Western Cape High Court, or to face being grilled in an inquiry in which he could order that the case be removed from the court roll.

It was nearly the end of the court day on Monday when the accused, Cameron Wilson of Heinz Park, was called to appear in the dock.

The list of the offences the State had placed on the charge sheet included two counts of murder, three of rape and two of attempted murder.

According to the charge sheet, Wilson is accused of separate and unrelated incidents which occurred between October 2014 and April last year.

While the details of the crimes have not yet been set out in an indictment, it is believed the State’s case is that Wilson randomly attacked people.

In one of the incidents, the State alleges he set alight two teenage girls, leaving them for dead. One survived and managed to crawl away and raise the alarm. The other was burnt beyond recognition.

When Wilson’s case was called on Monday, prosecutor Phumeza Mtuyedwa-Zondi stood up and requested a postpone- ment to enable the State to serve the indictment on Wilson, and transfer the matter to the High Court, Rixana responded: “Tell me something I don’t know.”

He pointed out that the prosecution indicated in November that the case would go to the High Court. In January, two months later, the court was informed the investigation was complete.

Rixana said the NPA had addressed a letter to him on February 12, in which it indicated that it had decided to arraign the accused in the High Court.

The court postponed the case to next week for the Regional Court date. If the State was not ready to transfer the matter next week, the magistrate said he would hold a formal inquiry which could lead to the matter being removed from the roll.

fatima.schroeder@inl.co.za