PRETORIA, June 11 (ANA) – The son of former South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) board member Hope Zinde, 50, is expected to stand trial in the High Court in Pretoria on Monday.
Mark Warona Zinde, 23, is accused of killing his mother Hope, who was also a former journalist and television news anchor. The State alleges that he killed his mother at their home in Pecanwood Estate, Hartbeespoort Dam near Brits in June last year.
He faces charges of murder and possession of drugs. His mother’s body was found on June 11, 2016, inside the boot of her car. He was referred to undergo psychiatric evaluation at the Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital in Pretoria following his arrest in June soon after the murder.
The assessment report declared that he was fit to stand trial and was capable of understanding court proceedings. The report further stated that he did not suffer any mental disorder when he allegedly killed his mother.
The family insisted that he was not in his right mind when he allegedly killed his mother. The defence disputed the report and wanted him to be re-admitted at Weskoppies for a computed tomography (CAT scan) of his brain and an electroencephalogram (EEG). The court dismissed this application.
Zinde also faces another charge of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm. He was arrested in November last year for allegedly attacking his father Dr Lebohang Manoto at his Walkerville home, south of Johannesburg.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) agreed to centralise the cases of murder and assault levelled against Mark Zinde.
– African News Agency (ANA)
