Covid-19 delays mental assessment of murder accused Ballito mom

Admissions to the province’s psychiatric hospital, Fort Napier, have slowed to a near-halt amid the coronavirus pandemic, a disruption affecting many awaiting-trial prisoners, including that of the Ballito mother who is accused of murdering her 6-year-old daughter.

Fungai Nyamadzawo was arrested after the body of her daughter, Alexia, was found in a remote sugarcane field in Riet Valley, outside Shakaskraal 2 days after she was reported “snatched” from the back seat of her mother’s car on Sunday, May 31.

The 42-year-old mother was due to be admitted to Fort Napier on August 25 for a 30-day mental evaluation to establish whether she is fit to stand trial and to assess her criminal capacity at the time.

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However, at a court hearing at KwaDukuza magistrate court on August 25, the court heard that Fort Napier was not accepting any candidates for evaluation due to Covid-19.

She is also facing charges of kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice after she told police she had been driving in the area with Alexia and her 14-year-old daughter when she slowed down at a speed hump near Shayamoya.

She claimed an unknown man opened the door of her vehicle and took Alexia, a grade 1 pupil at Umhlali Preparatory, who was asleep on the back seat.

Nyamadzawo was taken in for questioning by police on Monday, June 1 and was arrested the following day.

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Nyamadzawo’s attorney, Rakesh Maharaj, said his client had not been well recently and they had to seek medical intervention to help her.

According to Maharaj she had to be booked out of detention to get medical help in mid-August as she was suffering from extreme depression.

Nyamadzawo has been in police custody since her arrest after the state opposed bail in the matter.

She remains in police custody at Westville prison pending her admission to Fort Napier, now scheduled for December 15.