The Directorate of Public Prosecution has been called in to review the case of Shakoor Roberts who is accused of murdering his 61-year-old mother Gafsa Roberts and then hiding her body in a wheelie bin.
The magistrate on Thursday also called for a final date, 26 November, for the matter at the Mitchells Plain Regional Court saying it has been dragging on for three years.
The State prosecutor informed the court a mistake in Gafsa’s post-mortem report, where the word throttled was incorrectly spelt, has been rectified.
He then indicated the trial would be placed on halt as the Directorate of Public Prosecution called to review the docket.
Roberts’ Legal Aid lawyer then argued that her client has been in custody since last year and his rights were being infringed upon.
SLAIN: Gafsa Roberts
The magistrate asked when the DPP would be ready with the findings of their review, before marking the matter for a final date.
“The matter will be postponed final,” he said.
A DPP review could see the matter taken off the court roll if it finds there is not enough evidence to prosecute.
Last month, Gafsa’s family wrote a letter to the DPP and the Minister of Justice calling for them to intervene on the possibility that Roberts could be released.
Neighbours found Gafsa’s decomposed body inside her wheelie in front of her home in Winterhoek Street, Tafelsig, Mitchell’s Plain on 2 March 2015.
Gafsa was strangled to death.