Action Society supported various victims of crime as well as the families of victims who lost their lives in court over the past two weeks. The wheels of justice are turning frustratingly slowly as every level in the justice process, from investigative capacity, to forensic testing, to court processes are frustratingly slow-moving due to the ongoing decay in the delivery of justice in South Africa.
KHAYELITSHA REGIONAL COURT
Nosiphiwo James: Stabbed with a screwdriver
The murder suspect in Nosiphiwo James’s case had to continue with his trial without the option of a get-out-of-jail loophole. His bail application in terms of Section 49G(3) of the Correctional Services Act of 1998 in South Africa was denied on 5 March. This section of the Act states that a remand detainee must be referred to court if their detention will exceed two years. The trial continued on 10 April with the accused denying that he stabbed Nosiphiwo despite a previous witness in the trial not only identifying him as the killer, but also testifying that he was stabbed himself when he tried to intervene in the attack.
The trial has been dragging on since May last year, more than two years after Nosiphiwo’s death. Nosiphiwo was killed by her boyfriend with a screwdriver in Taiwan in Khayelitsha on 8 May 2022.
After the incident, her boyfriend fled the region and Action Society’s investigation team aided local law enforcement to track him down. He was arrested after cooperation between Action Society and SAPS in the Eastern Cape and transported to Cape Town.
We are expecting a judgement in this case on 12 May, just a few days after the three-year anniversary of her death.
Churchgoers: Sexual assault and rape
Action Society is pleased to see that the case against the men who sexually assaulted 19 female churchgoers in 2023 is moving along now. The victims were brutalised exactly two years ago over Easter weekend in 2023. Action Society was mandated to oversee the case from September 2023. The trial was supposed to continue between 14 and 16 April, but after a break-in and theft at the Sexual Offences court and due to equipment malfunctioning at the alternative court, the matter was postponed to 29 April for further trial.
Thimna Kuze: Found dead in a shack
The murder case of Thimna Kuze continued in April, more than two years after her murder. Thimna, a 13-year-old girl from Khayelitsha, was murdered on 25 March 2023, and her family is still waiting for justice. The young girl slept over at a friend’s house and was found dead a day later in a shack with blood in her nose, mouth and groin area. A break-in at the Khaletitsha Seuxal Offences Court meant the case had to be heard in another court on 14 April 2025 but the case was postponed to 12 May due to faulty equipment in court.
MITCHELLS PLAIN REGIONAL COURT
Violet: Rape by uncle
Action Society was shocked to learn that the man accused of raping his 12-year-old niece – Violet* – and sentenced to 15 years in prison in October last year is now appealing this decision. Action Society first became involved with the case in April of 2022, and was frustrated by various delays including faulty court equipment, unavailable court interpreters and overflowing sexual offences court rolls. The matter was heard in court on 8 April 2025 and was postponed to 24 April for leave to appeal.
MITCHELLS PLAIN MAGISTRATES COURT
Angela Koopman: Doused in petrol and set alight
A year has passed since the horrific murder case of Angela Koopman. The mother of two was doused in petrol and set alight by her partner on 22 March 2024. She was rushed to hospital, where she eventually died from the severe burns she sustained. The case was heard in court on 15 April 2025 and was postponed to 2 May for the attorney to address a few issues.
BELVILLE MAGISTRATES COURT
Aster: 14 year-old raped by pastor
In December 2024, Action Society received a written mandate to oversee the horrendous case of Aster*, a 14-year-old girl who was raped by a “pastor” in Delft in the Western Cape in late November 2024. According to reports, the pastor picked her up from her house (per their usual routine on a Saturday) to take her to a praise and worship session at their local church. However, on this day, he took the young girl to a rental house, where he proceeded to rape her. The case was heard on 15 April 2025 and was postponed to 12 May after the accused’s attorney withdrew from the case.
ATLANTIS MAGISTRATES COURT
Joshlin Marthinus: Killed by ex-boyfriend
Action Society has been mandated to assist the family of Joshlin Marthinus, a 27-year-old mother who was killed by her ex-boyfriend in September 2024 in Atlantis in the Western Cape. The case was heard in court on 10 April 2025 and was postponed to 18 June for the case to be transferred to the regional court.
