The Cape Town Magistrate's Court has banned the media from photographing the three men accused of killing criminal defence advocate Pete Mihalik.
Magistrate Greg Jacobs turned down applications from several media houses to film proceedings and photograph the accused, Sizwe Biyela, 26, Nkosinathi Khumalo, 31, and taxi owner Vuyile Maliti, 35.
The trio faces charges of premeditated murder, attempted murder, as well as the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition for the apparent hit on Mihalik as he dropped off his children at school in Green Point on 30 October.
The first two suspects were arrested shortly after the murder of Mihalik, 50, who was shot in the head at point-blank range.
Mihalik’s eight-year-old son sustained a gunshot wound to his jaw while his teenage daughter, 17, was not injured.
The gunman fired a shot through the driver’s window of Mihalik’s black Mercedes-Benz.
Maliti, who turned himself over to cops last Wednesday, is from Kuils River, while the other two accused hail from KwaZulu-Natal and needed a Zulu interpreter during court proceedings.
On Thursday, State prosecutor Helene Booysen said an identity parade had not been finalised.
Magistrate Jacobs said the accused’s rights might be infringed and banned the media from photographing them “at this stage”.
The case was postponed for two weeks for Khumalo to get a Legal Aid lawyer.
Biyela has also opted for Legal Aid, while the third accused has a private lawyer.
The trio will remain in separate prisons. The case resumes on 29 November.