In what was expected to be his first high court appearance, Zandile Christmas Mafe did not show up at the High Court of South Africa: Western Cape, despite being in the holding cells of the court.  His case was number three, in a pre-trial roll with 18 pre-trial cases, divided between two courts.  After a few minutes, a court orderly came up and told the court that they were facing a predicament as the accused was lying on the floor and said nothing.

The Pretoria High Court sitting in Benoni Magistrate’s Court, sentenced Pastor Lucky Mfanivele Magagula (36), to two life terms for rape, exposing children to pornography, sexual assault, exposing his genitals to children and sexually grooming six minor children, aged 3,4,6,8,9 years old.  The Judge ordered that his name be added to the national register for sexual offenders and that he be declared unfit to possess a firearm.

The Stilfontein Regional Court postponed the case against the eighty-seven(87) suspected illegal miners, arrested at shaft 2 in Orkney to 06 September 2022, for docket and consultations. In the last three postponements, the defence attorney committed to providing the state with a hard drive, at which the state will provide the content of the docket, which includes video footage. Such was not fulfilled and the attorney cited a lack of cooperation from the families of the accused, who have been committing to provide him with the hard drive.

The matter of S v Zandile Gumede and 21 others, (including persons and companies) returned to the Durban High Court today. During proceedings, the presiding Judge, Charmain Balton, established that all the accused have now secured legal representation.

Sihle Jali and Sifiso Ngcobo, to five years imprisonment each, on charges of public violence. They were arrested in July 2021,  for violent conduct at the Engen garage, on Nandi Drive, during the unrest that occurred in KwaZulu-Natal.

Phumelele Werwoed Zulu (20) appeared in the Donnybrook Magistrates’ Court today on two counts of murder and escaping from custody. His appearance relates to an incident that occurred last month, where he allegedly hacked two schoolgirls, Minenhle Buthelezi and Amanda Nqobile Zulu, to death. The incident took place in the Ngwagwane Village, of Creighton, on the KZN south coast.

The Pietermaritzburg High Court has sentenced Mduduzi Hopewell Shembe (32), to two terms of life and 61 years imprisonment, following his conviction on four counts of rape and three counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances. The incidents took place in Umlazi and Tongaat, from June 2017 to June 2018, when Shembe and his accomplice raped, attacked, and robbed the women in their homes.

An accused, Miriam Tau (40), has appeared in the Kimberley District Court, where her case was transferred to the Kimberley Regional Court. The suspect is facing a charge of conspiracy to commit murder and the applicant is alleged to have planned to have her husband murdered.

To bolster the capacity of the newly configured Eastern Cape division of the NPA, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Adv. Barry Madolo is pleased to announce the appointment of three Deputy Directors of Public Prosecutions (DDPPs).