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One of the two people awaiting trial for the infamous "resurrection" could face more charges.
This emerged in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on Thursday after the State informed the court of the possibility of additional charges against Nkululeko Dlamini, 35.
Dlamini appeared in court alongside his co-accused, Silungiseni Grace Sibanda, 40. The two have been charged with fraud in connection with the alleged "resurrection" of a man identified as Elliot Moyo at Alleluia International Ministries in February.
A video showing Moyo rising out of a coffin as pastor Alph Lukau prayed for him was widely shared on social media. However, Lukau made a U-turn and distanced himself from the incident, saying the man was already alive when he arrived at the church.
Reports later surfaced which indicated that Moyo had died in Zimbabwe following the incident.
Gauteng police spokesperson Mavela Masondo told News24 on Thursday that there was no confirmation that Moyo had died and that police were still looking for him.
READ: Resurrection Case: ID document for one of the accused fraudulent, court hears
During the proceedings on Thursday, prosecutor Mzamo Mathe asked for a postponement to enable the State to consult with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) about which charges should be added to Dlamini's name.
The State has also obtained cellphone records of the accused but have not compiled them for the court, according to Mathe.
"The docket is quite voluminous and the matter is at an advanced stage. A challenge is when the information becomes available. If the court denies to grant the State another remand, the accused could find themselves possessing critical evidence. We submit that the court must grant the State a remand for further investigations.
"There is a question of jurisdiction which relates to charges that could be added against Dlamini. Those arose in the process of verifying his legality in the country and we can't ignore that as the officers of the law," said Mathe.
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He continued that police investigations established that Dlamini claimed that he had two sets of relatives in the country. One set is apparently South African and the other hails from Zimbabwe.
Defence attorney Sara Pillay-Botes objected to Mathe's request for another postponement.
Pillay-Botes argued that during a previous appearance last month, the State said investigations were complete and the only outstanding thing were the cellphone records of the accused.
The attorney added that the State had been afforded two weeks to get its house in order.
"It is clear that the State has not completed its investigations. Since April, the State knew about a possible charge that could be added against the accused. We are now applying for a disclosure in this matter and will serve the DPP with a notice of disclosure. If granted the disclosure, I can make my own representations on what charges should be added," said Pillay-Botes.
The case was postponed to June 12 for DPP instructions.
