Rape accused Sizwe Yende (28), will have to find a new state legal-aid defence attorney before his next court appearance on January 28 next year.
This, after Yende and his attorney, Maloko Molomo, clashed over the bail application during the suspect’s court appearance last Wednesday.
He is accused of raping a three-year-old girl near Rimer’s Creek on October 9.
He appeared briefly in the Barberton Magistrate’s Court as per his defence advocate’s earlier application.
However, during his appearance before magistrate Thulisilie Mthethwa, his legal-aid representative told the court that he was abandoning Yende’s bail application. This upset Yende and he told the court that he wanted this to proceed.
A conflict ensued between the two, which resulted in the latter withdrawing as his legal representative.
“Because there is a conflict of interest between myself and the accused, I would like to apply to be excused from continuing to represent him as legal representative,” said Molomo.
Magistrate Mthethwa then asked Yende if he knew how long it would take him to get another legal representative or if he would be able to provide one during his next court appearance in January. Yende promised to bring one.
“Your case is then postponed to January 28, 2016 for further investigation while you will remain behind bars,” said Mthethwa, to loud applause by African National Congress Women’s League members and church leaders who packed the court benches.
Just before the proceeding started, they picketed outside the court in protest of the bail application.
Yende is currently being kept in custody in Mbombela.
