The bail hearing of Bheki Ndlovu (38), Nkateko Tshizumba (25) and Siyabonga Kekana (20), accused of the murder of Dr Nicholas Procter, continued in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court today.

A fourth suspect, allegedly the one who made the booking for the vacation rental unit where Procter’s body was found, is still at large.

The state prosecutor called the investigating officer of the Serious and Violent Crimes Unit to the stand for re-examination. He had previously provided evidence on why the three accused should not be granted bail.

However, before the state prosecutor could address the court, the Legal Aid attorney representing Ndlovu stated that he couldn’t proceed with the hearing today due to time constraints, as he is the attorney for a trial that was proceeding at the time, and the time he had allocated for this matter was not sufficient.

He said that on February 16, the magistrate had advised that closing arguments would be presented by the state and the representatives of the accused. However, this has since changed, as the state indicated it would proceed with further questioning of the investigating officer and a witness testifying on behalf of the family. The witness aims to provide information on who Procter was as a person, what his community work entailed, and the impact of his murder on his family, friends and the community.

Procter’s stepfather Jacob Vorster and a former colleague attended the court proceedings today. Vorster expressed gratitude for the ongoing support from the doctors who had worked alongside Procter.

Kekana’s father and Ndlovu’s sister stated to Lowvelder while they were present in court that they had informed the SAPS about their intentions to locate or assist the authorities in locating the fourth suspect still at large. Kekana’s father also emphasised in the strongest terms that he condemns any crime, and believes in the innocence of the accused until proven guilty in a court of law.

The magistrate agreed to the postponement as requested by Ndlovu’s attorney, confirming that the matter would continue in court tomorrow.