Africa-Press – South-Africa. A warrant of arrest has been authorised and held over for a social worker who failed to appear in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, to give evidence in the sentencing proceedings of the four men found guilty of murdering businessman Wandile Bozwana.
Vusi “Khekhe” Mathibela, Sipho Patrick Hudla, Matamela Robert Mutapa, and Bonginkosi Paul Khuma appeared in court on Monday.
The court was expected to hear testimony in mitigation of sentence for the accused.
However, the social worker, Annette Vergeer was not present when court proceedings started.
This led to the matter being stood down so that the defence lawyers for the accused could find out where she was.
The court later heard that Vergeer had been booked off sick and “does not have a voice”, which is why she was not in court.
Judge Mokhine Mosopa questioned why she did not let anyone know that she was not coming to court.
He also asked whether she had been made aware that there was a court order stating that she should be present in court on Monday and the consequences of ignoring such an order.
“I’m going to issue a warrant for her arrest now,” Mosopa said.
State prosecutor advocate Jennifer Cronje said there was no medical certificate before court to prove that Vergeer was indeed sick, and said a warrant of arrest should be authorised.
Cronje said the warrant should be held over until the next court appearance to give Vergeer an opportunity to tell the court why she failed to appear despite a court order.
Mosopa authorised the warrant of arrest, but before he postponed the matter to 19 July, he addressed the delay.
He explained that he convicted the accused on 21 January 2022, and since then, they have not been able to finalise sentencing proceedings due to multiple problems.
Mosopa placed on record that these delays were not because of him and he had committed himself to the trial.
“I hope this will be the last postponement of the matter.”
Bozwana was gunned down in a suspected hit on 2 October 2015.
News24 previously reported that he and his business associate, Mpho Baloyi, had just returned from Johannesburg when they were shot at the Garsfontein off-ramp in Pretoria.
Baloyi survived the shooting.
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