Action Society unequivocally condemns the recent attacks targeting our justice system – acts of violence that strike at the heart of fairness, safety, and the rule of law. Those who risk their lives in service of justice, lawyers, court users, witnesses, must not be endangered for speaking truth. This wave of violence is not just an attack on individuals; it is a direct assault on justice itself.
On 5 September 2025, an accused awaiting a bail hearing on assault charges was fatally shot at the entrance of Athlone Magistrate’s Court. The incident occurred near the court gate, moments after entering, and tragically unfolded within the court’s precinct. Two other individuals, a man and a woman, were also wounded nearby. SAPS and the Department of Justice are investigating as a suspected gang-related act. While the deceased was an accused, investigators consider that gang operatives may have feared he would become a state witness, marking him as a liability. Though this individual’s actions can neither be classified as heroic nor condemnable, law enforcement must be able to function without the threat of retaliation from criminal networks.
On 25 August 2025, two men were ambushed just outside the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court. One man was killed and the other seriously injured. Police believe the attack was gang-related, a 23-year-old suspect was arrested by the Anti-Gang Unit, and investigations are ongoing. As above, it is suspected that gangs targeted one of the accused due to fears that he might turn witness, an alarming reminder of how the pursuit of justice makes even the accused targets when criminal networks feel threatened.
In Johannesburg, prominent insolvency lawyer Bouwer van Niekerk was fatally shot inside his firm’s office by armed assailants posing as clients. Nothing was stolen, confirming it as a targeted execution. Legal experts warn this was an attempt to intimidate freedom-seeking advocacy within the legal profession. Here, unlike the accused in the previous cases, the target was a legal professional, one who was unquestionably acting in service of justice. His killing sends a chilling message to other justice-sector practitioners. He was the latest in a spate of whistleblowers who have been murdered in South Africa, further exposing how corruption networks and organised crime mafias have their tentacles deeply embedded in every sphere of the criminal justice system.
“Those who stand up, fight for justice, or come forward in pursuit of what is right are being targeted. This is more than individual violence, it is a profound threat to justice itself,” says Action Society spokesperson, Juanita du Preez.
In light of these incidents, Action Society urgently calls for:
- Enhanced court security, including immediate deployment of metal detectors, secure waiting areas, increased SAPS and Anti-Gang Unit presence especially in high-risk communities, and the exploration of remote or video hearings where practical.
- In the light of limited police capacity in gang-ridden areas, Action Society also proposes public private partnerships with private security firms to strengthen safety outside courts in high-risk areas.
- Action Society also demands targeted investigations and accountability, with swift, transparent investigations into all court-related shootings and a focus on pursuing not only the shooters but also organizers and masterminds to demonstrate that no one is above the law. The investigations currently under way into the corruption networks by Lieutenant General Godfrey Mkwanazi and his team must be broadened and prioritised to break the grip of organised crime over the justice system.
- Finally, government must make a public commitment that violence cannot deter justice, and provide resources and legislative focus toward safeguarding the justice system as a pillar of democracy.
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