Photo for illustration. (Archive photo: Isabel Venter/Maroela Media)
AfriForum’s private prosecution unit represents victims in six different cases being investigated by the police, where suspects and accused have been at large for years now with apparently no willpower from the authorities to act.
So says Barry Bateman, spokesperson for AfriForum’s private prosecution unit.
Some of the cases include complaints of rape, murder and gender-based violence. This despite the fact that there have recently been widely reported detections and arrests of high-profile suspects which are presented as the state’s commitment to ensuring that everyone is equal before the law and that crime is eradicated.
The private prosecution unit believes that this confirms that the state does not regard all victims of crime as equal.
A woman who in 2021 was allegedly kidnapped, raped and later shot several times in the head by her former boyfriend, Mbongiseni Welcome Zwane, is one of the victims currently represented by the private prosecution unit.
According to Bateman, she is still hiding for fear that Zwane will return to kill her.
“Zwane is still at large even though the police have all his details.”
John Dercksen, also known as John Matambu, has been missing since 2024 after he went fishing with Thomas Frederick “Ferdi” Visser. The burned remains of the boat they rented were later found in Mozambique. Despite numerous reported sightings in Mozambique and South Africa, as well as an allegation that he was arrested in Mozambique, Visser is still at large. Visser is also wanted in connection with a separate incident of sexual assault in 2015.
Stock Photo (Photo: Shutterstock)
In December 2022, Helena Fairlie was allegedly stabbed several times with a screwdriver by her former partner, Gregory Wynand Kleynhans.
Bateman says that although Kleynhans was arrested and appeared in court, he was later released and is still at large after failing to appear for his trial in October 2024.
“The police also have all of Kleynhans’ details. Then there is also the case of the alleged child rapist Thulasizwe Mkhize, who was arrested and granted bail after his first court appearance in February 2023. After the case was postponed numerous times, Mkhize failed to appear in court in July 2024. This led to a warrant being issued against him. He has still not been arrested.”
Bateman says it appears that the police have given up and do not want to make further efforts to track down suspects and accused persons who have committed these crimes against women and children.
“The SAPS’s failure to ensure that accused and suspects are arrested and appear in court is a shocking failure of their so-called commitment to protect the most vulnerable groups in society,” says Bateman.
Bateman refers to the recent statement of the investigating officer in the case against Member of Parliament Fadiel Adams, who told the court during Adams’ bail application that his public comments had undermined the public’s trust in the police.
“The public has already lost confidence in law enforcement authorities and prosecutorial authority. It is the police’s use of excessive resources in pursuing sensitive, political cases while simply shrugging their shoulders when it comes to alleged rapists and murderers escaping arrest, which contributes to the loss of confidence in the authorities,” says Bateman.
The private prosecution unit makes an urgent appeal to the police to provide feedback on the various cases and ensure that the suspects and accused are brought before a court so that justice can be done for their alleged victims.