Pretoria - The woman charged along with her husband in the "Springs house of horrors" case has tonsillitis, the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria heard on Thursday.
"Her tonsils [are] visibly swollen and she can't speak. She couldn't even swallow this morning [Thursday]," Louiza van der Walt, the woman's lawyer, told the court.
Van der Walt asked that the matter be postponed to Monday for the woman to seek medical attention.
The parents are on trial on 42 charges, including rape, child and sexual abuse, and drug dealing and possession. They may not be named to protect the identities of their five children, some of whom are minors.
Police arrived at their house in Springs, on the East Rand, in May 2014, after the couple's son ran to a neighbour for help. The father was arrested on May 23.
The case was postponed to Monday, March 27.