New ET trial delay probable

AWB leader Steyn van Ronge says his organisation is "disappointed and frustrated" after it emerged another postponement in the Eugene Terre Blanche murder trial in Ventersdorp was likely today.

Van Ronge referred to reports last week that Puna Moroko, lawyer for the accused, Chris Mahlangu, 28, had dropped the case, and was being replaced by Legal Aid representative advocate Kjomogso Tlowana.

Van Ronge expressed disappointment that the trial would probably be postponed, but said a postponement would not inconvenience the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging as it had "not called up the masses".

"All you can really do is express your misgivings . we are now in the hands of the justice system."

The trial in the Ventersdorp Circuit Court will probably have to be postponed to give Kjomogso time to study the case docket, which he received last Thursday.

Moroka, who is in private practice, told Sapa last week he "was doing [the trial] for free and I felt I should be given something and the Legal Aid fees were very little".

Mahlangu and his 15-year-old co-accused allegedly hacked former AWB leader Terre Blanche to death on his farm in April last year, allegedly over unpaid wages.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga yesterday confirmed the "possibility of a delay". Mhaga said any delay would be disappointing because the NPA was ready to proceed with its case.

The murder of the right-wing leader sparked a national outcry over farm murders, leading to the hate-speech case against Julius Malema over his singing of the struggle song Dhubul'ibhunu.

The murder trial was postponed late last year when an application was brought by media houses for access to proceedings because of the substantial "public interest".

Judge Joe Raulinga ordered that a separate room with closed-circuit TV had to be made available to 16 members of the media and four relatives of Terre Blanche. - Additional reporting by Sapa