Cape Town - Another accused in the murder case of Cytheria Rex has died as the matter is in its 15th year with more than 115 postponements.
This week, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila confirmed the matter had been postponed, delaying the trial for a further seven months.
Virgil Sass, Oswill Grootboom, Imeraan Hendricks, Lee Cloete, Rhonwen Rhode and Keenan Lewis were making appearances in the Blue Down’s Regional Court.
But Ntabazalila confirmed that Lewis had passed away and that they were awaiting documentation.
A second accused, Warren Robertson, died in May 2017 after he was shot and killed. It is unclear what the cause of death was for Lewis.
And one of the men was yet to appoint a new lawyer, Ntabazalila said.
“The case against Virgil Sass and others has once again been postponed until September 25 and 26 for further particulars to be provided to a new Legal Aid representative of one of the accused,” he explained.
“The court has also been advised that one of the accused, Keenan Lewis, has passed away.
“A death certificate confirming this was provided to the court,” Ntabazalila said.
Last year, Cytheria’s mother, Jacqueline Rex, breathed a sigh of relief when a Section 174 application was dismissed by the court.
But now she has a new worry with the case being delayed.
“I have heard this case will be moved to another court, but we have received no feedback even on the new court cases or that one of them has died,” said Rex.
Last year, Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola, said they would be observing and monitoring the case, which has been postponed more than 114 times over 14 years.
The minister would be informed of its status, he said.
In a report compiled by the NPA last year it was said that the majority of postponements were due to bail applications, accused absenteeism, prosecutor absenteeism and the changing of legal representatives.
Cytheria, 17, was raped and stabbed more than 40 times in 2009 before her body was forced into a wheelie bin and dumped on a field in Kraaifontein.
Cytheria’s blood had made a trail from where she was murdered to where she was dumped, leading police to the doorstep of her alleged killers.
MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety Reagen Allen also called for Cytheria’s case to be completed after being observed by their Court Watch brief.