Problems at the rundown Mthatha High Court continue to haunt officials and lawyers, with hours of court time lost due to a broken airconditioning system.The case of murdered Catholic nun Sister Mary Paule Tacke was stood down yesterday after the cooling system packed up, leaving everyone, included Judge Lusindiso Pakade, hot under the collar.
It was the second time this week a case had to be delayed because of the airconditioning. “We cannot continue in this situation.
“Someone must look for a courtroom which has a cooling system. It is very hot inside here and we are uncomfortable,” said Pakade.
Of the six courtrooms, only three had working airconditioners.
Lawyers, prosecutors and members of the public, including nuns who came to hear the case yesterday, were angered by the situation.
The accused are facing charges of kidnapping and murder of the US-born nun, who spent most of her life doing charity work in Mthatha and had been dubbed Mother Theresa of Eastern Cape
The matter had been set down for the whole week where the judge is still hearing a trial-within-trial over the admissibility of a confession by the accused to police.
Yesterday Pakade dismissed an application by the state to have a separation of trial.
The hearing later continued after another courtroom was found.
The state’s case in the trial-within-trial was closed and the defence team was expected to start today. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za.
Broken airconditioning delays nun trial
The case of murdered Catholic nun Sister Mary Paule Tacke was stood down yesterday after the cooling system packed up, leaving everyone, included Judge Lusindiso Pakade, hot under the collar.
It was the second time this week a case had to be delayed because of the airconditioning. “We cannot continue in this situation.
“Someone must look for a courtroom which has a cooling system. It is very hot inside here and we are uncomfortable,” said Pakade.
Of the six courtrooms, only three had working airconditioners.
Lawyers, prosecutors and members of the public, including nuns who came to hear the case yesterday, were angered by the situation.
The accused are facing charges of kidnapping and murder of the US-born nun, who spent most of her life doing charity work in Mthatha and had been dubbed Mother Theresa of Eastern Cape
The matter had been set down for the whole week where the judge is still hearing a trial-within-trial over the admissibility of a confession by the accused to police.
Yesterday Pakade dismissed an application by the state to have a separation of trial.
The hearing later continued after another courtroom was found.
The state’s case in the trial-within-trial was closed and the defence team was expected to start today. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za.
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