On Monday the Broadhurst magistrate was forced to postpone a trial due to the unavailability of a court interpreter in a case in which a Indian national is charged with insulting both the state president and members the national assembly.
The state counsel, Thato Dibela, and the accused person, Abdul Rashid, 48, who is presenting himself, were let down when Broadhust magistrate, Hauwa Nuru, postponed the trial of the Indian national.
Dibela told the Telegraph that although there were not happy about the postponement of the trial, there was nothing to they could do.
She explained that “the accused person apparently speaks Urdi but when the interpreter was contacted, the interpreter excused himself promising to turn up for court proceedings on the following day (Tuesday) but already there were other trials that were already set for that day, therefore, the case had to be postponed to May”.
Dibela said when an accused person says he or she wants to use a particular language, the court is obliged to look for somebody who is fluent enough to interpret that particular language to English so that the accused person can have a fair trial.
She added that the state will bring about five witnesses who will testify against Rashid.
The charge sheet states that Rashid on the 12th of October 2009 near Kwena Mall in Mogoditshane uttered the following words: “Palamente ga se sepe mobusineseng yame ga e kake ya ncontrola mo business yame,” meaning “parliament cannot control me in my business because it is mine even the president is bull*&@# in my business.”
Rashid is out on bail and the trial is scheduled to resume on the 4th of May.