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Skielik delays concern Cosatu
11/02/2008 20:06 - (SA)
Johannesburg - The Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) expressed concern on Monday about delays in the case against Johan Nel, 18, accused of killing four people and injuring six others in an alleged racially motivated attack.
Nel returns to the Swartruggens District Court on Tuesday after the case against him was postponed in order to move the trial to a High Court.
He faces murder and attempted murder charges after allegedly entering the Skielik informal settlement in the North West with a shotgun and opening fire, killing a 30-year-old man, a 10-year-old boy and a three-month-old baby and wounding seven others.
One of the wounded later died in hospital.
"We are watching all the delaying strategies by the court of Swartruggens, and we will be there, even if they take the case to Cape Town or anywhere in the country," Cosatu said in a statement on Monday.
Its members and the communities around the Bojanala region would be picketing and demonstrating outside the court in support of the Skielik community, the union said.
At Nel's first court appearance on January 24, about 300 angry and emotional protesters and politicians were present outside the court.
The crowd - from Skielik and neighbouring townships - called on the court and police to hand Nel over to them.
Nel, meanwhile, waved, smiled and showed a peace sign to photographers and cameramen as he was placed in the dock of the court before Magistrate Andre Kleynhans.
Kleynhans told the court that the trial would not take place in the district court, but in a high court, due to the gravity of the charge.
Nel's attorney, Frikkie Pretorius, said he would apply for his client to be sent for a psychiatric evaluation at Weskoppies in Pretoria.
- SAPA
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