Pretoria - In a bid to save time and get on with the main trial looking into the murder of Senzo Meyiwa, presiding Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela has halted the special application proceedings to thrash out issues in his chambers.
Maumela, halted proceedings in the case earlier today as he requested all parties to meet in his chambers to deal with outstanding matters to ensure that the court resumed dealing with the actual trial looking into the 2014 murder of Meyiwa.
This as he said he was concerned that instead of dealing with the trial itself, the parties were now dealing with other issues and wasting "precious time".
"I'm not even sure what we are doing here as we are not busy with the trial regarding the killing of Senzo Meyiwa instead we are busy with side issues."
"All the time we utilise here is very precious and I listened to you and I'm sorry to say this before TT Thobane addresses the court but we seem to be busy with the obvious."
According to the presiding judge, what was currently being addressed in court was something that was mentioned prior to the long adjournment and during attempts by former legal counsel Malesela Teffo to object to a postponement by other parties who did not have access to the second docket.
"Maybe I am missing something. I do not know if that in itself doesn't place on record that there was something that was not correctly done regarding the second docket, and if it does I do not know what we are doing here."
"The issue is about the second docket not having been announced or made known to all concerned sooner rather than later. I did while busy with this case note the discovery has not been done in a manner that is fair to all and I feel like we are now chasing a bus that has already passed," he added.
As a result, Maumela requested a brief adjournment with the parties meeting in chambers to map out a way forward with a view to returning to court to resume the main trial.
Pretoria News