The man accused of killing 14 schoolchildren in the Vanderbijlpark scholar transport crash, Ayanda Dludla, could undergo a psychiatric assessment before his trial proceeds.
His lawyer has raised concerns about his client’s mental state, saying he is struggling to remember and explain aspects of the case.
The defence has approached the court in terms of Section 77 (1) of the Criminal Procedure Act, asking for a postponement to November 18 to allow for an assessment to determine whether Dludla is fit to stand trial and can understand the proceedings.
Dludla faces 14 counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder, following the January crash on the R553 Golden Highway, in which 14 children died and three others were injured.
Dludla’s Lawyer, Reward Nxumalo, told the court: “As much as all of us want to put our house in order and get the trial going, I want the trial to get going, and the mother of the accused person wants the trial to get going. But I’m asking for this leniency to allow us to jump over this hurdle, irrespective of the outcome. We can then deal with the consequences as they unfold from the 18th. That’s my submission.”
-Reporting by Zine Buthelezi