The perjury trial against former social development minister Bathabile Dlamini will go ahead despite the National Prosecuting Authority asking for it to be postponed to February.
“I am of the view that it would be in the interest of justice and fair that at this point we utilise all the dates that have been put aside, which means that yesterday we could not do much. Even today we are still dilly-dallying, but nevertheless the matter has been on the roll. The day for tomorrow has to be utilised.
Dlamini’s lawyer told the court the state’s ill-preparedness was a waste of everybody’s time. He argued that the reasons advanced by the state for the postponement were not adequate. “We would request an adjournment until sometime next year due to other commitments that we already have. And we do not wish to set dates which we will not able to honour in the continuation of this matter as this will further delay progress in this matter, as a result,” Serope said.