On Sunday afternoon, a tragic incident occurred in Beacon Valley, Mitchells Plain, where a 37yearold officer with the Cape Town Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP), Toufeeq Williams, was a victim of a stray bullet. Williams was offduty and walking with his twoyearold daughter near the intersection of Trampoline and Cadillac Streets when he was fatally shot. He was laid to rest on Tuesday in adherence to Muslim customs.
On a Sunday afternoon in Mitchell’s Plain, Toufeeq Williams, an offduty officer of the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP), was senselessly murdered while carrying a baby and walking down Hengelaar Street. The incident has left both the Western Cape Government and the City of Cape Town in shock and mourning.
June Steenkamp’s daughter, Reeva Steenkamp, was tragically killed by Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius in 2013. Pistorius claimed that he mistook Reeva for an intruder, but the subsequent trial portrayed him as a jealous and triggerhappy boyfriend. Pistorius received a sentence of 13 years and five months for murder.
The role of judges and magistrates in upholding the principles of justice is essential in the legal realm. However, there have been concerns about the consistent failure of magistrates to ensure that accused individuals understand the implications of their admissions. This issue came to light in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court when two Western Cape High Court judges, Judges James Lekhuleni and Constance Nziweni, reviewed the cases of Mthunzi Ndzishe and William Fisher.
Thapelo Edwin Mojaki, a 41yearold man from North West, South Africa, was recently sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his pregnant wife, an incident that highlights the ongoing struggle against genderbased violence (GBV). The tragic event took place on October 9, 2022, in Kolong village near Taung, forever changing the lives of the couple’s two teenage children.
The murder of Senzo Meyiwa, former Bafana Bafana captain, shocked South Africa and the world of football. Meyiwa was killed on 26 October 2014 at the home of his thengirlfriend, Kelly Khumalo, in Vosloorus, Gauteng in what was alleged to be a botched robbery. Meyiwa’s tragic death left a void in South African soccer, and justice is now being pursued with renewed vigor.
In a dramatic showdown in Lwandle, Cape Town, one of the region’s most infamous hitmen met his demise. At just 29 years old, the hitman had been linked to at least 10 violent crimes, resulting in the deaths of 12 individuals.
The recent release of Frans du Toit and Theuns Kruger, the attackers of Alison Botha, on parole has triggered widespread dismay and disbelief among many South Africans. Convicted of brutally raping and stabbing Alison, the two men were released after serving 28 years in prison for their heinous crimes. Alison’s story is a reminder of the rampant sexual violence in South Africa and the urgent need for a more effective approach to addressing genderbased violence in the country.
A heinous crime shook the small town of Grabouw, South Africa in December 2017. A 27yearold woman was on her way home in Libanon when she was brutally attacked and raped by two men. One of the attackers, Koos Kerneels, was recently convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in this atrocious act.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) in Limpopo has demonstrated accountability by arresting two sergeants from the Mogwadi Police Station for the assault and subsequent death of Mr. Lucky Tshikhwama while in police custody on June 6, 2023. The officers, aged 38 and 49, were arrested on charges of murder, assault GBH, and defeating the course of justice.
Fulgence Kayishema, a 62yearold Rwandan national, will appear in court for the third time in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on June 9th. Kayishema, who is accused of participating in the Rwandan genocide of 1994, was arrested on May 24th in Paarl, South Africa after evading capture for decades.
On a tragic night in Umlazi, the Glebelands Hostel experienced an unimaginable tragedy that left many in disbelief. A peaceful gathering of nine friends quickly turned into a night of horror when unknown gunmen attacked them, resulting in seven deaths and leaving two with serious injuries.
Marlene le Roux, the Chief Executive of Artscape, has been recognized with the Jaap du RandDenise Ackerman Award as part of the Andrew Murray Prize Fund awards. Her passion for unity, reconciliation, and justice extends beyond South Africa, where she has had a successful career in youth development, disability advocacy, and community work.
Access to justice is a fundamental right for all citizens, and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development in South Africa is committed to ensuring that this right is upheld. As the current administration enters its final year, the Department has identified several key areas to focus on to improve access to justice for all citizens.
