THE emotional and high-profile murder trial involving Skeem Saam actress Amanda Manku’s dad has hit another delay.

Initially postponed from February to May 2025, the trial kicked off this week at the Polokwane High Court.

On Wednesday, 14 May, the court met again to continue cross-examining the final witness.

However, things took a shocking turn when the witness, back on the stand, claimed he couldn’t remember anything from his February testimony.

The witness is the son of the late Lettie Maphothoma and brother of Gladys Manku, both brutally killed in May 2021.

The accused, 53-year-old William Manku (Amanda Manku’s dad), and his friend David Khoza (40), face charges for their alleged part in the double murder.

In his earlier testimony, the witness told the horror story leading to the deadly attack.

He described walking home with his mum and sister when two armed men ambushed them.

“They didn’t say anything. They just pulled out guns, pointed them at us, and began preparing to shoot. One of them shot my mother in the leg, then again in the chest,” he testified in February.

“My sister tried to run, but the other man chased after her.”

He also said that after a third shot was fired at his mum, he ran to get help.

“When I got home, I asked my sibling to borrow their phone. I called my other sister to tell her people were shooting at our mother and sister,” he said.

However, during Wednesday’s proceedings, the defence asked if he remembered being in court on 11 February.

He said he didn’t.

This worried the judge, who stopped the trial and questioned the witness directly.

She asked if he was on drugs, feeling scared, or threatened, but none seemed to be the case.

The judge put the case on hold, telling both sides to figure out what to do next.

The trial will carry on, but it’s not clear how the witness’s memory loss might affect the case.