Umtata - The five pupils from the Efata School for the Blind and the Deaf in Mthatha would know on Monday if their bail application was successful after they appeared in the local magistrate's court.
The hearing-impaired pupils, between 21 and 30 years old, stand accused of murdering the school's deputy principal Nodumo Mdleleni-Mzimane on the school premises on July 28 this year. Three of the suspects were arrested in October and two more last week at the school.
The case had to be postponed last week so a sign language interpreter could be sourced, Mthatha police spokesperson lieutenant colonel Mzukisi Fatyela said. An interpreter was brought from East London on Monday.
The court would also send a video recording of the court proceedings to the University of the Witwatersrand to check the interpretation was a true reflection of what was said.
In an earlier statement the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) said it had learnt with "shock" of Mdleleni-Mzimane's brutal killing. She was found in a pool of blood with multiple stab wounds.
Sadtu said Mdleleni-Nzimane taught economic and management sciences, but also had a scarce skill – alternative augmentative communication (AAC) for deaf children - and was in charge of a programme providing hearing aids to deaf learners.
She had an honours degree in inclusive education.