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- Judgment in the case of a Wellington stepfather accused of murdering his stepdaughter was postponed.
- The court said it wasn't ready yet, and needed more time.
- Yonela Kopano was found dead in the shack she shared with her mother.
Any hope of finality for the grieving family of murdered teenager Yonela Kopano was dashed on Monday when the Western Cape High Court announced it was not ready to hand down judgment.
The case was postponed to 30 January, so Yonela's mother, Phumeza, has to sit through an entire holiday period waiting for the verdict.
Yonela, from Wellington, was murdered in her family's shack on Swartberg Street on 10 November 2020, two weeks before she turned 18. Her cellphone was stolen.
Her stepdad, Xolelani Mjada, was arrested on housebreaking, robbery, rape and murder charges.
He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Phumeza was a night guard and usually left her phone with her daughter in case of an emergency.
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Her boyfriend testified that they chatted by phone the night before she was found, and then there was silence.
When she was found, she had been stabbed in the head.
A neighbour testified that he heard a commotion, and he and his wife tentatively approached the shack, calling out "Koko! Koko!" (knock, knock) at her door, but nobody answered.
The next day the neighbour noticed there was none of the usual early morning movement at the Kopanos' shack.
When her mom arrived and opened up, she saw her daughter "did not look right" and shook her, hoping to wake her up.
Nobody had a phone to call for an ambulance, so neighbours asked someone with a car to take them to the police station to get help.
Warrant Officer Alex Heradine testified previously that, when police arrived, she was dead.
A woman, who sold alcohol from her house in the area, testified that she had been drinking with Mjada the night before Yonela was found dead. She remembered clearly that he left early, even though she had had a few pints at the time.
Yonela's mom had obtained a court order to keep Mjada away.
Judgment is expected on 30 January 2023.
