Lawyer Slams Court Delays In Case Of Sangoma Accused Of Killing Two-Year-Old Kutlwano Shalaba

The lawyer representing Sebokoane Khoanyana, a sangoma accused of the human trafficking and premeditated murder of two-year-old Kutlwano Shalaba, has criticised the court for ongoing delays in the case.

Khoanyana appeared briefly in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court on Monday, where the State revealed that DNA results connected to the case were still outstanding—five months after being sent for analysis.

Khoanyana was arrested in May and reportedly led police to the site in Bekkersdal, south of Gauteng, where the child’s body was found.

Accused Linked by Cellphone Records

Khoanyana appeared alongside his co-accused, Keneilwe Shalaba, who is also the mother of the deceased child. She was arrested in November last year and faces charges linked to her son’s disappearance.

Investigators have tied the two accused together using cellphone records, strengthening the State’s case against them.

Defence Claims Client Is Being Prejudiced

Khoanyana’s lawyer, Gladmore Nyamanda, argued that his client was being unfairly prejudiced by the drawn-out process and lack of progress from the prosecution.

“I will keep on pushing for the matter to be marked final even next year, January, because forensic report and DNA analysis cannot take more than six months,” he said, adding that the defence was ready for trial.

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“If they are going to the high court, then we will go, because there are a lot of loopholes, that’s what I can say for now,” Nyamanda added.

Both Shalaba and Khoanyana will remain in custody until January, when the matter is expected to return to court.

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