Justice postponed: Sentencing for Cytheria Rex's killers delayed again

A year after being convicted  of murdering 17-year-old Cytheria Rex 16 years earlier in Kraaifontein, her killers have yet to be sentenced due to a delay by their lawyers.

Sentencing proceedings have been delayed since June after the Magistrate Deon Van der Spuy fell ill and was hospitalized.

The matter was postponed to August 26 for a new date and a Magistrate to be assigned to familiarise himself with the case, and later to September 22.

This week, Eric Ntabazalila Regional Communications for the National Prosecuting Authority  confirmed that a sentencing date had yet to be decided due to a delay by the lawyers of the accused.

“The case has been postponed until November 21 for all the attorneys of the accused to be present in court,” he told Cape Argus who queried when sentencing would be scheduled.

In September, Ntabazalila explained that all the lawyers and judicare were to attend proceedings in order to arrange a date.

While Rex’s family told Cape Argus they remained in the dark as no one besides the media communicated what was happening.

Virgil Sass, Oswill Grootboom, Imeraan Hendricks, Lee Cloete, and Rhonwan Rhode were convicted in November 2024.

Two of the accused have since died.

Van der Spuy, who is wheel-chair bound, was transferred from Blue Downs Magistrates Court to Strand Magistrates’ Court last year.

Earlier, Nicholas Gotsell MP - DA NCOP Member on Security & Justice Gotsell wrote to the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, asking why Rex's case was not prioritised.

In response to Gotsell, the Minister said via a parliamentary question, that the main reason for the delay was due to the accused and systematic reasons, relating to lawyers and judicare, magistrates absenteeism, witnesses and typed court records.

Rex was stabbed more than 30 times and raped.

During judgement, the Magistrate detailed how the group had all played a role in her death following a party at Sass’s home in Kraaifontein in February 2009 and that they had tried to get rid of the body by throwing it over the wall.

And when they were not successful they placed her into a wheelie bin and dumped her body onto the field.

DNA evidence including a crucial testimony from a witness sealed the men’s fate.

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Cape Argus