Cape Town - The bail hearings of three men accused of gunning down 6-year-old Zakariyah Noble from Hanover Park have been put on hold due to the diphtheria outbreak at Pollsmoor Prison.
Relatives of the 6-year-old were at the Athlone Magistrate’s Court on Friday where they were informed the matter would be postponed as Riaan Matthews, Keanan America and Chandler Harper were not brought to court.
The Grade R learner from Turfhall Primary School was shot in the chest while walking with his uncle and cousins in Surwood Walk.
The trio were arrested by the Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) and during court proceedings it was revealed that witnesses told police they ahd spotted the trio holding guns and opening fire on a group of people in the street.
America and Harper were linked to the incident at ID parades but Matthews had allegedly tried to deceive police by sending another person to be photographed as him but the State witness led cops straight to his home.
Aunt, Kashiefa Morkel, said: “We got there on Friday ready for the bail hearings. But then they told us that there is a virus and that no prisoners were being brought from Pollsmoor. The case had to be postponed to November 17.”
Last week, the Department of Correctional Services confirmed that a 19-year-old inmate had died and eight others were in isolation at Pollsmoor Prison after a diphtheria outbreak.
The department revealed that the Medium A section of the prison was where the outbreak had started.
Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla said that the prisoner presented symptoms on October 28 and was referred to a local hospital for medical care.
But he subsequently died.