A court case against Annanias Mathe, the Mozambican national who made a daring escape from Pretoria’s top security C-Max prison last year, has been transferred provisionally to the Johannesburg High Court for trial.
Shackled and under heavy police guard, Mathe (31) looked in much better health at his appearance in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday — in contrast to the frail, wheelchair-bound figure he presented at the Pretoria Regional Court in April this year.
When his trial begins in the Johannesburg High Court on November 12, he will be facing 76 charges — including seven of rape, four of attempted murder, five of housebreaking with intent to rob and robbery with aggravated circumstances.
Some of the other charges are unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition, housebreaking with intent to rape, 16 charges of housebreaking with intent to steal, theft, three charges of indecent assault, four of robbery, two attempted rapes, attempted housebreaking, unlawful possession of housebreaking implements, 12 counts of malicious damage to property, two counts of corruption, theft, theft from a motor vehicle and two counts of escaping from lawful custody.
Before postponing Mathe’s case, Magistrate V Hawkins ordered that he be transferred to the Johannesburg Prison from Pretoria before his trial starts later this year.
The provisional trial date will allow defence lawyer Liz de Oliveira Serrao and state prosecutor advocate David Mothibi to decide on whether crimes committed outside Johannesburg would be incorporated into the charge sheet.
Mathe is expected to appear in the Pretoria Regional Court on Wednesday. — Sapa