/ 3 April 2009

Kunene appears in Pretoria court, case postponed

A case of defeating the ends of justice and attempted murder against former hoax email accused Muziwendoda Kunene was postponed in the Pretoria Regional Court on Friday.

Kunene (45), an IT consultant, appeared briefly and his case was postponed to June 3 to enable him to stand trial on a murder charge in Bloemfontein, Free State.

His trial in Bloemfontein is scheduled from May 4 to May 29.

Kunene asked the court to facilitate in getting him an attorney from the legal aid board, saying he needed to prepare for his trial.

”If I do not consult with an attorney, I will not have an opportune time to prepare for the trial,” he said.

”Ever since my last time [appearance] in court I had not been able to consult with an attorney,” he told the court.

An attorney from the legal aid board, Mr Ramaposa, told the court he would inform Kunene’s attorney, identified as Mr Naude, about the postponement date and request him to contact Kunene.

The court said Naude was not in court because he was ill.

Kunene is accused of defeating the ends of justice for allegedly shooting himself in the hand in November 2007, under the pretence that he was attacked for giving information to the media.

He allegedly shot his son Msebenziwenkosi in November 21 in 2007 to prevent him from testifying against him in the Bloemfontein case.

In Bloemfontein, Kunene is facing murder, robbery and kidnapping charges relating to the 2007 murder of Ballito estate agent Lynne Hume.

Kunene was acquitted of fraud charges in the hoax email case in January.

Seven heavily armed policemen outnumbered journalists in the relatively empty public gallery in the courtroom.

Two of them sat on the far bench, two stood guard at the door leading to the holding cells, one stood guard near the accused box and two sat on the bench behind Kunene in the box.

The heavily armed police transported Kunene from Bloemfontein to Pretoria for the case. — Sapa