The trial of Andrew Jordaan, the man accused of murdering seven-year-old Sheldean Human, will commence in the Pretoria High Court in March next year.
Jordaan appeared briefly in court on Thursday, but was not asked to plead to charges of murder, abduction, rape and the illegal possession of dagga.
Prosecutor Jennifer Cronje told the court the defence had indicated that it was not ready to plead, apparently because copies of photos forming part of the docket had not been supplied to them.
Defence counsel said they had only received copies of certain documents on Wednesday night, and some were still outstanding.
Judge Aubrey Ledwaba postponed the trial to March 25 next year, when Jordaan will be asked to plead to the charges. He will remain in custody until then.
A seemingly relaxed-looking Jordaan was clean shaven and dressed in his usual black and white shirt and black jacket. He hugged and chatted with family members before and after his appearance, but did not look in the direction of Sheldean’s mother, Elize Human.
An emotional Human, wearing a tight pink T-shirt bearing her child’s photo and name, told reporters the law now had to take its course. She was, as during Jordaan’s previous court appearances, accompanied by two large ”bodyguards”.
Sheldean’s father, Wikus Human, said there was nothing they could do now other than to accept and wait for the outcome of the case.
Solidarity and the Helping Hand Fund used Jordaan’s court appearance to bring attention to the 1 400 children that are reported missing in South Africa each year with a display of posters — some with pictures of missing children — outside the court.
The state alleges that Jordaan had on February 18 taken the little blonde-haired girl from the home of one of her friends in Pretoria Gardens to a veld about 4km from her mother’s home.
There, he allegedly raped and strangled her before throwing her body into a manhole leading to a storm water ditch.
Her decomposed body was found in the ditch behind the Pretoria fresh produce market on March 5.
The cause of her death could not be ascertained because of the decomposed state of her body.
The state also alleges that Jordaan was illegally in possession of dagga when police searched his room on February 20 last year. — Sapa