Greta Xaba's family voices frustration over ongoing court delays
The family of Greta Xaba has expressed their dissatisfaction with the repeated delays in the Pinetown Regional Court’s ruling concerning her death.
Greta Xaba died on May 8, 2022, after allegedly being beaten by her son, Constable Lungisani Xaba, a police officer at KwaDabeka police station, on May 7, 2022. It is reported that the attack involved a plank with protruding nails.
Initially, Lungisani was charged with assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, but the charge was upgraded to murder after his mother’s death.
The Xaba family arrived at court at 8.30am on Wednesday, anticipating the continuation of the ruling, which had been read in parts on August 20, August 27, and September 3.
However, Magistrate Bilkesh Asmal postponed the case to October 8, citing a lack of court orderlies for her courtroom until 11.30am.
She explained that she had to attend to matters of accused individuals who were out on bail first, stating: “I could not call this matter earlier because there were no court orderlies.”
The magistrate finally called the Xaba matter at 3.41pm.
Lungisani’s niece, Siyethemba Xaba, voiced the family’s unhappiness with the court’s conduct, noting that since Magistrate Asmal began delivering her ruling, the case has consistently been called late, often at 2pm or 3.10pm.
Siyethemba stated: “We are always here in the morning at 08:30 and wait for the matter to be called. When it’s eventually called, the Magistrate would say there is limited time.”
Siyethemba said the magistrate had covered much ground in her ruling, with the last session focusing on analysing Lungisani’s testimony.
She said that as a Xaba family, they feel that Lungisani lied under oath when he denied killing his mother, claiming that she died from a heart condition.
She said the expert evidence indicated that she died from internal bleeding.
“She had some nails stuck on her arms as she tried to shield her face from the attack, and before she died, she did cough blood,” Siyethemba explained.
Magistrate Asmal assured that she will prioritise the case in October.
nomonde.zondi@inl.co.za