Just when Oprah Winfrey thought the abuse scandal at her South African school was almost over, the judge granted the defendant in the case a month-long reprieve to meet with her attorneys.

The Sebokeng Magistrate Court Thursday delayed the case against 27-year-old Virginia Mokgobo, giving the former employee of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls slightly more than a month to consult with her lawyer over the case.

Magistrate Arend van Wielligh granted the brief reprieve to allow Mokgobo time to meet with her attorneys; she was ordered back to the court on Jan. 16. At that time, Wielligh is also expected to set a trial date for the case.

The last thing Miss Winfrey wants or needs, what with the full plate of obligations she has served herself, is for the nasty scandal to be drawn out any further. [E!]