The case against Sifiso Mkhwanazi, accused of the murder of a Johannesburg sex worker, has been postponed to next year.
Mkhwanazi, 20, was arrested after the discovery of six women’s bodies in a panel-beating business in central Johannesburg.
The case was postponed to February 20.
Mkhwanazi appeared briefly in the Johannesburg magistrate's court on Wednesday. Clad in a blue jacket and black pants, he appeared calm and relaxed.
The state requested a postponement after it emerged that the investigating team didn’t comply with instructions given by the state.
The court also heard Mkhwanazi's Legal Aid lawyer was only briefed on Tuesday.
Speaking outside the court, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said investigations were incomplete.
“We have given instructions to the investigating officer and those are not yet complied with, therefore we cannot move forward,” she said.
Mjonondwane said the matter “has been escalated”. The acting chief prosecutor, the prosecutor and the investigating team met to discuss the case. “We believe there will be progress,” she said.
The bodies of the six women have not yet been identified and the NPA is awaiting DNA results. The chief prosecutor had indicated he would intervene and speak to authorities so that priority was given to the DNA issue, Mjonondwane added.
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