Pretoria renaming pranksters trial postponed

05 December 2011 - 13:40 By Sapa
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Pretoria/Tshwane. File photo.
Pretoria/Tshwane. File photo.
Image: moyogo

The trial of six men accused of using stickers to rename Nelson Mandela Drive in Pretoria to Clive Derby-Lewis Drive was postponed in the city's Magistrate's Court on Monday.

Prosecutor Sipho Letsoalo asked for the matter to be put off to January 27, saying the court had yet to get a directive from the National Prosecuting Authority.

The six smartly dressed men folded their hands and listened attentively. They are out on bail of R1000 each.

The men were arrested for allegedly using stickers to rename the street names on directional boards in Sunnyside on the night of July 17.

CCTV cameras along Nelson Mandela Drive recorded their actions and police rushed to the scene.

The men were found in possession of several replacement stickers bearing the name "Clive Derby-Lewis Drive".

They refused to explain their actions to police.

The men, aged between 25 and 38, were charged with malicious damage to property.

Derby-Lewis, a former Conservative Party MP, is serving a life sentence for his role in the assassination of SA Communist Party secretary general Chris Hani.

Hani was killed outside his home in Dawn Park, a suburb of Boksburg on April 10 1993.

Using a gun provided by Derby-Lewis, Polish immigrant Janusz Walus shot Hani in the head as he stepped out of his car.

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