- Advocate Shaddy Sithole withdrew from representing Ntuthuko Shoba in the Roodepoort Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.
- As a result, Shoba conducted his own cross-examination of a Department of Correctional Services warder on his safety at Johannesburg Prison.
- Shoba will make his first appearance in the South Gauteng High Court for his alleged involvement in the murder of his pregnant girlfriend, Tshegofatso Pule, on Friday.
The lawyer representing the alleged mastermind behind Tshegofatso Pule's murder has
withdrawn himself as the case heads to the South Gauteng High Court.
Ntuthuko Shoba briefly appeared in the Roodepoort Magistrate's Court, where a Johannesburg Prison warder was scheduled to be questioned about safety concerns the 32-year-old had.
Previously, he asked the court to allow him to be kept at Krugersdorp Correctional Services instead of being moved to Johannesburg Prison, claiming he had received threats from inmates.
During Shoba's last appearance, his lawyer, Shaddy Sithole, cited messages, voice notes and video messages in his possession.
Sithole submitted:
Proceedings
on Tuesday were delayed due to prisoners not being brought to court on time.
When Shoba arrived, his lawyer was not in the courtroom, and when he did arrive, magistrate Delize Smith expressed her displeasure about attorneys not physically being in court when their client's cases were called. Sithole hit back at Smith, saying he had been getting constant updates from the court official about when his client would arrive and that he stepped out because another case was sitting.
The lawyer representing Ntuthuko Shoba, the alleged mastermind in #Tshegofatsopule 's murder has withdrawn from the case after a heated exchange with the Magistrate @TeamNews24
— Lwandile Bhengu (@Lwandi_N) May 25, 2021
Smith threatened to report Sithole for his conduct, and after the heated exchange, Sithole informed the court he had filed papers withdrawing as Shoba's lawyer on Monday and asked to be excused.
Shoba briefly cross-examined senior correctional officer Lesetja Masenya about the set-up at Johannesburg Prison and who had access to awaiting-trial prisoners before agreeing to comply with the move.
Outside court, Pule's family said the case being transferred to the High Court was a milestone.
"We are happy with the way the case has progressed, up to this point. We just have to wait for Friday to check whether the new legal representatives will be there or not, but, as a family, we are happy with the progress," said her uncle, Tumisang Katake.
He added they were not surprised Shoba's lawyer had withdrawn himself from the case.
"We knew he was going to cause a delay tactic, and we also anticipated the fact that at some point, he is going to drop his legal representative and opt for a new one. This is the second legal team he dropped.
"From the initial stages, that application [to stay at Krugersdorp Prison] was without substance, so the change in tune is not something that surprises us," said Katake.
Shoba is expected to make his first High Court appearance on Friday.
Do you want to know more about this topic? Sign up for one of News24's 33 newsletters to receive the information you want in your inbox. Special newsletters are available to subscribers.